Vijay Hazare Trophy: This is one of the most rewarding victories for Karnataka, says Mayank Agarwal

Bengaluru: Exactly one month after Manish Pandey was kicked to the curb by Karnataka’s selectors, Karnataka managed to pick up their first trophy in five years after they claimed the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the cost of Vidarbha on Saturday night. 

This is not to say Manish's somewhat crude ejection was directly responsible for Karnataka’s title, but credit to the selectors for their gamble on youth seems to have paid off, for now.  

Karnataka introduced as many as four debutants into this 50-over tournament, and while they were not as intimidating as rosters of old, they stuck to their roles and pulled off what skipper Mayank Agarwal referred to as one of their most rewarding triumphs. 

“Given the transition, we knew we had to punch way above our weight to get here,” he told DH on Sunday. “We knew we had all the components we needed to get this victory, but we had to keep pushing past that threshold and hold it together because we’re also building a team.

“We, the seniors, were not so much worried about the skills the youngster brought to the table, we only wanted them to find that desire to win, a hard-nosed approach to winning, and somewhere along the way, they found it, and it has been very inspiring to see them in that space. That fight is what Karnataka cricket is all about and I am glad we have found it against.”

The ‘fight’ Mayank is referring to was best projected through the likes of R Smaran, KV Aneesh, KL Shrijith and the other youngsters in the side. Smaran ended the tournament with 433 runs from seven innings, Aneesh put up 385 runs in nine knocks and Shrijith had 303 runs in eight innings. These, when coupled with Mayank’s 651 from 10 innings, make for a solid batting display. 

On the bowling front, Karnataka still relied on experience with Shreyas Gopal and V Koushik picking up 18 wickets each, while Abhilash Shetty showcased his left-arm prowess with 17 scalps in seven games. 

“I cannot say enough about guys like Shreyas and Koushik. They are always contributing to the team, and it goes unnoticed because of how they are as personalities, but these are tough boys. They work hard and they always have that chip on their shoulder,” said Mayank. 

When asked if this victory has led his side to believe that a spot in the Ranji Trophy knockouts, Mayank said: “It’s improbable, but it’s not impossible.”

Karnataka are fourth on the Group C table with two games left. A lot has to fall in their favour to qualify, but this victory has allowed them to peel away the bleakness of the last few months and look ahead. 

“I don’t think our Ranji season was bad at all. We were just affected by rain and some injuries to players. Now, our focus is to switch to putting up our best show in the red-ball format and think beyond this season as well,” said coach Yere Goud. 

Goud, who happened to be coaching the Under-23 team the season prior, wasn’t surprised that some of his wards from last season transitioned to the senior side and immediately had an impact. 

"They are still a work in progress, but this title and these performances show that they belong at this level. I always knew that so I wasn’t surprised but sometimes you need big performances in big games to show that,” he said. 

Although this team does not have the pizzazz of previous teams, it has shown that it can come together and work as a unit. That’s more than Karnataka cricket has shown in the last few years, so this is a move in the right direction.