Batting let us down, rues skipper Vinay

For a team that had three players with 600 runs each under their names this season, a target of 198 was indeed achievable. But the Karnataka batting suffered a collapse against a spirited Vidarbha attack.

Skipper R Vinay Kumar was visibly disappointed with the second innings effort of his team. "Definitely it is a let down from the batting department. Most of them got out playing bad shots. On this wicket, a target of 198 was very much achievable. With this performance, we certainly didn't deserve to go to final," said Vinay.

Vinay gave credit to Vidarbha's bowling and praised player of the match Rajneesh Gurbani. "The energy level of that guy (Gurbani) was very good. He bowled in the areas in which our batsmen were not comfortable. For batsmen playing closer to the body, he was easy to handle but for those who went for their shots, he was a tough bowler. He really made a difference. Their bowlers are doing a great job," he said.

In what was an absorbing contest, Karnataka were on top for the first three days. Things began going Vidarbha's way when Ganesh Satish (81) and Apoorv Wankhade (49) forged an 88-run partnership in the second innings. Karnataka further let slip the advantage by allowing the last three Vidarbha batsmen to put together 85 runs.

"We didn't bowl very well in the second innings. We gave away too many boundary balls and we could have cut down at least 50 runs. The support from the fielders was also slightly low compared to the previous game. We weren't too lucky as we dropped a couple of catches and some of the balls fell short of the fielders. Maybe they were destined to play the final," he noted.

With every match in their campaign, Karnataka had grown stronger and the sudden exit felt bitter, felt Vinay. "It is very disappointing. We played so well in the group stages and then in the quarterfinals. Even in the semifinal, we were almost there. But then overall, one bad performance cost us. If you ask me, I look to end the season with the trophy every year. The team did well but unfortunately we didn't qualify. We need to forget this and come back stronger next time," he said.