Vijay Hazare Trophy | Transitioning Karnataka endure mixed white-ball fortunes

Bengaluru: When Karnataka endured a humiliating Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, there were several instances when they seemed to have reached the cliff. 

Five weeks and a Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinal later, the T20 campaign feels like a mere bump on the road, with the white-ball future looking better than it looked.

While Karnataka failed to go all the way in VHT as well, not all was gloom, as there was an air of invincibility in how they went about their business in the national one-day tournament. But for a team in transition, there are a few questions to answer. 

Karnataka entered the VHT with a seemingly out-of-form Mayank Agarwal managing just 135 runs at an average of 19.28 in SMAT. 

Agarwal hit two hundreds and two fifties, scoring 420 runs 46.66. He also shared three 100-plus run partnerships with Devdutt Padikkal, which included the highest chase in VHT history. 

While it was on the back of Padikkal (725 runs at 90.62) that Karnataka produced a batting performance of the kind seldom seen, it also highlighted how much they depend on Agarwal at the top. 

Despite the return of the reliable Karun Nair from Vidarbha, there have been a few warning signs from the fidgety middle-order of over-dependence on the right-hander. 

And that was witnessed in the VHT, where he scored 412 runs, doing the repair job when there was a top-order malfunction. 

In the seven games Karnataka lost across both white-ball competitions, not many have stepped up when these two failed. And that brings up the inevitable age and availability factors. 

Two of the three top-run scorers in Karnataka’s VHT campaign were 34-year-olds Karun and Agarwal. While these two are expected to get through at least a couple of seasons, the question is ‘who’s next?’. 

With Padikkal flying with the Indian Test squad and looking to break into the one-day side on the back of stellar performances, Karnataka might not have the luxury to shoulder their batting responsibilities on him. 

Smaran R’s performances in both red and white-ball cricket have been significant. He has looked the most assured batter in the middle-order and has runs to back the talent. He was the highest run-getter for Karnataka in SMAT, making 319 at 63.80, but couldn’t carry on the momentum in VHT before getting injured. 

Shrijith KL, already 29, scored 175 runs at 43.75, with two fifties in VHT, including one in the semifinal. While his contributions have showcased value, the consistency is missing.

Since the exit of CM Gautam, Karnataka have struggled to find a reliable wicketkeeper-batter.   

Karnataka might have also found a batter capable of batting in the top six and bowling off-spin when needed.

Dhruv Prabhakar has so far played two games, walking in to bat in pressure situations, and has done a decent job. 

On the bowling front, Karnataka’s issues are centered on form. After a sub-par SMAT, Vidwath Kaverappa’s impact remained insignificant, and Vyshak Vijaykumar struggled for consistency.

Both lacked penetration with the new ball and failed to take wickets at crucial junctures, picking only five wickets apiece in five games in VHT. 

However, Karnataka are lucky with their fast bowling depth. Youngsters Abhilash Shetty and Vidyadhar Patil have played important jroles, carrying the pace attack when their senior pros struggled. 

Abhilash (17) was Karnataka’s leading wicket-taker in VHT while Patil has showcased immense promise, picking up 19 wickets across two white-ball competitions this season.

Another shining light in Karnataka’s campaign was Shreesha Achar, who showed strong awareness in his own game and the willingness to stick to it when under pressure. 

He nicely complemented veteran Shreyas Gopal and has picked up seven wickets in six List A games. 

All in all, for a team in transition, the groundwork for the new generation to take off seems to have commenced.