VHT 2025/26: Marquee players who fared well in quarter-finals
What's the story
The four quarter-finals of the 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy are done and dusted. India's premier 50-over tournament now heads to the semi-finals, where Karnataka and Vidarbha will clash in the first game on January 15. The second semi-final will see Saurashtra take on Punjab a day later. Have a look at the marquee players who fared well in the last-eight clashes.
#1
Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka)
Another stellar knock from Devdutt Padikkal helped Karnataka beat Mumbai in the first quarter-final. He smashed a 95-ball 81* as Karnataka won by 55 runs (VJD method due to rain). With this, Padikkal became the first batter to touch the 700-run mark in multiple editions of India's premier 50-over domestic competition. He currently has six 50-plus scores in eight matches this season.
#2
Karun Nair (Karnataka)
In the same match, Indian batter Karun Nair made a mark with an impressive 74* off 80 balls. He added a 143-run stand with Padikkal after skipper Mayank Agarwal fell early. Nair, who was earlier dropped from the Indian Test side, now averages 67.20 in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. He hammered his third 50-plus score, including a ton.
#3
Prabhsimran Singh (Punjab)
The third quarter-final saw Punjab beat Madhya Pradesh in Bengaluru. A fine 88-run knock from Prabhsimran Singh led Punjab to 345/6 in 50 overs. He was also supported by Anmolpreet Singh and Nehal Wadhera. However, the Punjab skipper stood out by hitting 10 fours and 2 sixes. He was also adjudged the Player of the Match. Prabhsimran also completed 2,000 List A runs.
#4
Sameer Rizvi (Uttar Pradesh)
Despite being on the losing side, Uttar Pradesh's Sameer Rizvi made a statement with his rescuing knock against Saurashtra in the second quarter-final. He smashed an unbeaten 88 off 77 balls after his side was struggling at 134/4 in the 24th over. His knock had 10 fours and 2 sixes. However, Saurashtra won by 17 runs (VJD method due to rain) while chasing 311.