5 best young batters in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 so far
The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 is reaching its business end with just the final remaining. Saurashtra and Maharashtra have secured their berths in the summit clash, which will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 2.
India's premier domestic 50-over competition continues to be the breeding ground for upcoming talents. This season has been even more incredible, considering the number of batters who have stood up to be counted.
While Narayan Jagadeesan stole the show with a record-breaking season, Ruturaj Gaikwad plundered seven sixes in an over as he looks to get into the Indian team again.
A plethora of young batters have laid down a marker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 thus far. Let's take a look at five of them below:
#5 Aryan Juyal - Uttar Pradesh
Aryan Juyal becomes the first wicketkeeper with 150+ score in a Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout match.
He scores 159 for Uttar Pradesh against Maharashtra today.
A member of India's Under-19 World Cup squad in 2018, wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal enjoyed a superb Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign for Uttar Pradesh (UP). Opening the batting, he consistently performed, amassing 494 runs at an average of 70.57 and a strike rate of 82.33.
Holding the UP innings together, he scored two half-centuries and two centuries in their run into the quarter-finals.
In fact, he was the lone man standing tall amidst the ruins in Uttar Pardesh's quarter-final loss against Maharashtra, scoring 159 off 143.
#4 Yash Dubey - Madhya Pradesh
Indians to miss out a double century by the smallest margins in men's List-A cricket :-
198 - Venkatesh Iyer (MP) vs Punjab, 2021
195 - Yash Dubey (MP) vs Nagaland, today
192 - Ravikumar Samarth (Karnataka) vs Kerala, 2021
#VijayHazareTrophy
One of the chief architects of Madhya Pradesh's Ranji Trophy triumph, Yash Dubey made a mark in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well.
With two tons and two fifties, the right-handed opener piled up 476 runs at an average of 95.20 and a strike rate of 105.54.
On the very day that Jagadeesan belted 277, Dubey slammed an unbeaten 195 and almost recorded a double-century of his own against Nagaland.
Technically very compact, he remains one for the future and is a real bright prospect.
#3 Rohan Kunnummal - Kerala
This has been a dream year for Rohan Kunnummal. Having piled up runs in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, he extended his purple patch to the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well.
The 24-year-old opener finished with 414 runs at an average of 103.50 and a barnstorming strike rate of 131.84.
He is making all the right noises and with a call-up to the India A squad that is currently in Bangladesh, the sky is the limit for the opening batter, who could be in line for a groundbreaking IPL deal at the auction in December.
#2 B Sai Sudharsan - Tamil Nadu
While Jagadeesan has made the most headlines, his opening partner B Sai Sudharsan isn't far behind himself.
The southpaw has forged an irresistible partnership with Jagadeesan, compiling 610 runs at an average of 76.25 and a strike rate of 111.92 in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
His exploits have included three centuries and two half-centuries along the way. If not for Jagadeesan's record-breaking spree, Sudharsan would have emerged as the tournament's standout batter.
With Tamil Nadu eliminated in the quarter-finals, he won't be able to add to his tally.
#1 Narayan Jagadeesan - Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu’s Narayan Jagadeesan becomes the first ever cricketer to score 5 consecutive centuries in List A cricket 🔥
📸: BCCI
#crickettwitter #india https://t.co/tQvW61QugO
The Vijay Hazare Trophy season for 2022 will probably be remembered as Jagadeesan's season. With 220 runs clear of Sudharsan in the run-scoring charts, the wicketkeeper-batter smashed one record after another for fun.
From becoming the first man on the planet to compile five successive tons in List-A cricket to breaking Ali Brown's record for the highest score in the format, it has been the stuff of dreams for the opener.
A tidy gloveman with a penchant for big runs, this could just be the coming of age for the 26-year-old Jagadeesan, who was released by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2023 Auction.
Safe to say that his stocks have only shot through the roof now after a breathtaking season such as this one?
Which other young batter has impressed you the most at the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 notable absentees from the India A squad to tour Bangladesh