Best playing XI of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 ft. Deepak Hooda, Varun Chakaravarthy
Harayana created history by winning their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy. They achieved the said feat against Rajasthan at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on December 16, 2023, and emerged victorious by a margin of 30 runs.
The domestic 50-over tournament had a few national team discards performing to their potential and a few youngsters who made their mark.
On that note, here is the best playing XI of the 2023 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy:
#1 Top order- Arslan Khan, Devdutt Padikkal and Ankit Kumar
Arslan Khan ended up as the highest run-scorer in the tournament. Playing for Chandigarh, Khan was exceptional at the top of the order. He scored 508 runs from seven innings at an average of 84.66. Out of the said seven innings, he crossed the 50 run mark on six ocassions and scored two centuries too.
Devdutt Padikkal averaged 155 with the bat. In five innings, the left hander who represented Karnataka scored 465 runs including two centuries and three half-centuries. The said runs were scored at a strike rate of over 120.
Ankit Kumar, the opener from Harayana was one of the architects in guiding his team to glory in the tournament. His gritty innings of 88 in the finals was instrumental in his team's victory. Overall, he had a good tournament with the bat scoring 453 runs at an average of 50.33 including two centuries and two half-centuries.
#2 Middle order: Ankit Bawne, Deepak Hooda (Captain) and Nikhil Naik (WK)
Bawne, who played for Maharashtra was the second highest run-scorer in the tournament. He scored 506 runs at an average of 84.33 and scored three centuries and one half-century in seven innings with a top score of 167. He was a vital member of the squad in the middle-order and guided his team to the quarter finals of the tournament.
Deepak Hooda was brilliant as a batsman as well as a captain for Rajasthan in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. He led his team exceptionally on the field and Rajasthan were the runners-up. With the bat, he scored 480 runs with an average of over 68 and scored two centuries and two half-centuries in eight innings. His innings of 180 in the semi-finals against Karnataka was one of the highlights of the tournament.
Nikhil Naik from Maharashta had a good tournament both with the bat and behind the stumps. With the bat, Naik he scored 278 runs at an average of 92.66 and scored two half-centuries in the tournament.
#3 All-rounders: Rahul Tewatia and Sumit Kumar
Rahul Tewatia and Sumit Kumar were instrumental in guiding Harayana to their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title with their all-round performances.
Tewatia scored 352 runs at an average of 176 and a strike rate of 131.34. He also scored four half-centuries and was a vital cog for his team. He was equally effective with the ball and picked up 15 wickets at an impressive average of 19.13.
Sumit Kumar was named the Man of the Series in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for his all-around heroics. His 18 wickets in the tournament came at an average of 16.73. The fast-bowling all-rounder had an average of 183 with the bat in seven innings and also scored a century in the tournament.
#4 Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy, Siddharth Kaul and Aniket Choudhary
Varun Chakaravarthy was indeed the mystery bowler right through the tournament. The 32-year-old leggie who played for Tamil Nadu ended as the joint top wicket-taker in the tournament picking up 19 wickets at an average of 13.05. His best figures of 5-9 were against a hapless Nagaland team that had no answers to his spin.
Siddharth Kaul, who has played three ODIs and three T20Is for India, made his experience count in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023. He had the lowest strike rate (15.73) amongst the four bowlers who picked up 19 wickets in the tournament. His 19 wickets came from just six matches at an average of 15.10. Kaul was at his very best and made the ball do the talking.
Aniket Choudhary has been associated with Rajasthan for more than a decade. The left-handed pacer had an exceptional Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 and also had 19 scalps to his name at an exceptional average of 14.36. He was a key bowler in guiding his team to the finals of the tournament. Unfortunately, Rajasthan ended as runners-up but Choudhary proved his worth and was exceptional throughout the tournament.