Padikkal, Nair power Karnataka into fourth straight Hazare semis

Bengaluru: Defending champions Karnataka stormed into their fourth successive Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinals with a thumping 54-run victory over Mumbai via the VJD method here on Monday.

With the tournament's leading run-getter Devdutt Padikkal (81 not out; 95 balls, 11x4) and veteran India batter Karun Nair (74 not out; 80 balls, 11x4) unbeaten, Karnataka were cruising at 187 for 1 in 33 overs while chasing a modest 255 when rain stopped play.

The VJD par score at that stage was 132, and with Karnataka 55 runs ahead they were declared winners.

Earlier, heavyweights Mumbai, already without pacer Tushar Deshpande due to personal reasons, suffered a major blow when top batter Sarfaraz Khan (303 runs at 75.75) was ruled out after being struck on the finger during net practice.

In his absence, Mumbai managed only 254 for 8 after Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal opted to bowl at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1.

In a largely one-man show, Shams Mulani struck an impressive 86 to hold the Mumbai innings together after a top-order collapse.

Mumbai were tottering at 60/4 in 17.2 overs before Mulani and skipper Siddhesh Lad (38 off 58 balls; 4x4) added 76 runs for the sixth wicket.

After Lad's dismissal, Shedge and Kotian fell in quick succession, but Mulani held firm, scoring 86 from 91 balls with eight boundaries.

Mulani took 68 balls to reach his fifty, but stepped up in the death after getting support from Sairaj Patil (33 not out off 25 balls; 5x4, 1x6), as Mumbai smashed 59 runs in the last five overs.

Patil's late assault gave the Mumbai bowlers something to defend.

Mulani was trapped lbw by Abhilash Shetty in the final over, ending his determined knock.

For Karnataka, Vidyadhar Patil returned 3/42, while Abhilash Shetty and Vidwath Kaverappa picked up two wickets each.

In reply, Agarwal and Padikkal began cautiously before Karnataka lost their skipper inside the powerplay.

Agarwal, Karnataka's second-highest run-getter this season with two centuries and two fifties, edged Mohit Avasthi to slip for 12 off 24 balls.

Mumbai's cause was further hurt by sloppy fielding, as the in-form Padikkal was given two reprieves.

Avasthi induced a thick outside edge from Padikkal that flew to Raghuvanshi at first slip, but the chance was wasted.

Earlier, on 24, Onkar Tarmale spilled a straightforward chance running in from deep fine leg.

Padikkal made Mumbai pay for those mistakes on the field.

The tall left-hander, who now has 715 runs from eight innings with four hundreds and two fifties at an average of 102.14 this season, went on the offensive, pulling Sairaj Patil over midwicket and then flicking him through the same region.

From thereon, there was no stopping Karnataka as Padikkal and Nair added 143 runs off 150 balls for the second wicket.

Nair, who had endured a lean run with scores of 0, 14 and 10 in his previous three innings, returned to form with a fluent 44-ball fifty -- his third of the tournament and 16th in List A cricket.

He looked in complete control, whether in defence or attack, and dissected the field with ease.

Mumbai tried as many as seven bowlers, but apart from Avasthi's early strike, none could make any impact.

Karnataka had earlier topped Elite Group 'A' with six wins from seven matches.

Brief Scores

Mumbai 254/8; 50 overs (Shams Mulani 86; Vidyadhar Patil 3/42, Vidwath Kaverappa 2/43, Abhilash Shetty 2/59) lost to Karnataka 187/1; 33 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 81 not out, Karun Nair 74 not out) by 54 runs via VJD method.