Vidarbha chase maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title

BENGALURU: How long does it take for a team in transition to settle down? It depends on how well the process is planned. For Saurashtra and Vidarbha, the change has been almost seamless.Among the most consistent teams on the domestic circuit, both sides have banked more on talent, tactical acumen and team culture rather than stars and individual brilliance. When they meet in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final here on Sunday, the promise is of a high-quality contest between the two.Saurashtra have lifted the title twice — in 2007-08 and 2022-23 — while Vidarbha, who knocked out defending champions Karnataka in the semifinal, are chasing their maiden crown in their second consecutive final appearance.Both teams were exceptional in the last four, with Saurashtra comfortably outplaying Punjab on Friday.Vidarbha’s batting has been anchored by opener Aman Mokhade, who tops the run charts with 781 runs, including a classy 138 off 122 balls in the semifinal. His opening partner — Atharva Taide — has troubled new-ball bowlers consistently, and the right-left combination has given Vidarbha solid starts.Saurashtra, meanwhile, are led by young Harvik Desai, who has impressed with both the bat and leadership. With 561 runs, he is third on the overall run charts and the leading scorer for his team.The bowling attacks on both sides have made telling contributions, particularly at the death. For Saurashtra, pacer Ankur Panwar has stood out with 21 wickets, consistently breaking partnerships. Vidarbha’s pace trio of Yash Thakur, Nachiket Bhute and Darshan Nalkande has risen to the occasion, delivering under pressure in crunch moments.