Five Lesser Known Performers From The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021
The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 has caught the attention of the wider Indian fanbase. The tournament, which is India’s premier domestic List A competition, has seen the top drawer of aspiring Indian talents perform at their best and strengthen their cases in front of the national selectors.
Players performing consistently in the Vijay Hazare Trophy are considered prime for higher honours and generally go on to represent India. To ensure that all senior domestic players have a fair chance to showcase their talent and ability, the 38-team competition is nicely divided into Elite and Plate Groups followed by the knock-outs.
Arzan Nagwaswalla is one of the bowlers who impressed in Vijay Hazare Trophy.
This year as well, the Vijay Hazare Trophy has seen many promising young players take the best step forward in their journeys. These players include popular names on the fringes of the Indian team. But today, we’ll focus on a few lesser known faces and performers from the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021.
Five Lesser Known Performers From The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021
1. R Samarth
R Samarth, the right-hand batsman from Karnataka, piled on 613 runs from seven innings in the tournament at an average of 122.60 and a strike-rate of 105.32.
Samarth made 3 hundreds and 2 fifties in the competition and was crucial to Karnataka’s run till the semi-final.
Samarth’s stand-out knock was the 192 he hit against Kerala in the quarterfinal and he ended as the tournament’s third-highest run-getter.
2. Tanmay Agarwal
Hyderabad’s Tanmay Agarwal made 446 runs from his five innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021. Agarwal averaged 89.20 and had a strike-rate of 96.53.
The 25-year-old, who made 2 hundreds and 2 half-centuries in the tournament, finished as the fourth-highest run-getter of the tournament with the best of 150 versus Goa.
The left-hand batsman must’ve impressed the selectors with his ability to maintain consistency without having to compromise on his strike-rate.
3. Madhav Kaushik
Madhav Kaushik, the right-hand batsman from Uttar Pradesh, is aged only 23 but in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he showed fantastic ability and maturity beyond his years.
Kaushik blazed his willow for a magnificent century, an unbeaten 158 off 156 balls to take UP past the 300-mark batting first.
It’s a knock that will certainly hold him in good stead as the selectors are constantly on the lookout for talent that isn’t perturbed by the pressure or the magnitude of the occasion.
4. Arzan Nagwaswalla
Gujarat’s left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla took 19 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 in seven innings. Nagwaswalla averaged just 13.94 for his wickets and delivered his overs at an economy rate of only 4.32.
The 23-year-old took 6/54 in the Elite Group A match against Chattisgarh, which proved his best figures for the competition. He also took a four-fer versus Andhra and will have definitely caught the selectors’ attention.
The selectors and the management have been keen for a left-arm pacer in the Indian team for a while and Nagwaswalla could be the one to fill that void.
5. Shivam Sharma
Left-arm spinner from Shivam Sharma was key to Uttar Pradesh’s successful run to the final of the tournament. The 20-year-old showed excellent control and consistency.
Sharma ended his Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 with 21 scalps at a fantastic average of 16.90 and went at only 4.60 runs per over.
The young spinner’s tournament tally included two five-wicket hauls. He bagged figures of 7/31 against Bihar and 6/22 versus Orisha.
Sharma could add to the spin depth in India’s limited-overs set-up.
Also Read: Mithali Raj Becomes First Indian Women To Score 10,000 International Runs