Karnataka lift maiden CK Nayudu Trophy

Bengaluru: Karnataka lifted the Col CK Nayudu trophy after securing a massive first innings lead over Uttar Pradesh in the final here on Wednesday.  

After stretching their second innings (overnight 444/5) to 585 all out, Manvanth Kumar L took a five-wicket haul as Uttar Pradesh reached 174/6. The players shook hands following the dismissal of sixth wicket of Vipraj Nigam (73). 

With this, Karnataka completed the domestic age-group red-ball double, winning the Cooch Behar Trophy and Col CK Nayudu Trophy in the same year. 

Aneesh KV, unbeaten on 171, completed a classy double hundred and went on top the tournament’s charts with 922 runs. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Kruthik Krishna missed out on a century, while Kunal Tyagi cleaned up the tail as the hosts were bowled out for 585, setting UP an improbable 804-run target. 

Manvanth ran through the Uttar Pradesh top order with an incisive opening spell. 

Swastik Chikara, on Delhi Capitals’ roster for the upcoming IPL, and Vipraj Nigam showed some fight in a brisk 103-run partnership. 

Manvanth broke the stand shortly after tea, inducing an outside edge off Chikara, which was snapped up brilliantly by a diving Krishna. 

The medium pacer completed a five wicket haul when he had Nigam caught at covers, and soon after the Karnataka players set off for celebrations. 

The winners were awarded Rs 50 lakh, while the runners-up pocketed Rs 20 lakh. 

“The moment the team was given to me, I knew that this team had potential. I knew most of the boys since they were in the 16-19 age-group camp, and it helped me to understand them since I came in the middle of the season,” coach Yere Goud said in post-match comments. 

“We never had a settled team with players coming in and going for most of the tournament, and we needed to re-define a player's role in the side. It was a big challenge. But we knew what to expect from each player,” Goud added. 

Goud remained confident that most of this victorious bunch can graduate to the senior side across formats. 

“The management and selectors (of the senior Ranji team) have taken some bold calls and given a lot of chances to youngsters. 

“We need a pool of players at the senior level across all three formats. A lot of players in this group might fit into these formats, so it gives selectors an option to pick a variety of players to perform different roles,” Goud opined. 

Captain Smaran R enjoyed a good tournament with the bat, finishing with 829 runs. 

“It is a very proud moment for Karnataka and it is just the start for all of us. We’ve made a lot of good memories and have played a good brand of cricket. We just need to carry this momentum and win more trophies,” Smaran said. 

“Players progress to the next level if we win championships. It’s a stepping stone for many players to break through to the next level and take it on from there,” Smaran added. 

Brief scores: Karnataka: 358 and (O/n: 444/5): 585 all out in 151.5 overs (Macneil Hadley Noronha 79, Prakhar Chaturvedi 86, Aneesh KV 214, Smaran R 40, Kruthik Krishna 86; Vipraj Nigam 2-193, Kunal Tyagi 4-90) drew Uttar Pradesh: 139 and 174/6 in 31 overs (Swastik Chikara 67,  Vipraj Nigam 73; Manvanth Kumar L 5-36).

Result: Karnataka emerged winners by virtue of first innings lead.