Devdutt Padikkal in a league of his own, scripts history in Vijay Hazare Trophy; Karnataka beat Mumbai to reach semis

Devdutt Padikkal became the first batter to score 700-plus runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season twice, having first achieved it in 2020–21.

Devdutt Padikkal’s purple patch with the bat rolled on as he delivered another standout performance in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy on Monday. The left-hander played a classy half-century against Mumbai, a knock that not only steadied his side but also pushed him past the 700-run mark for the season. With that effort, Padikkal etched his name into the record books by becoming the first batter to cross 700 runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy edition on two separate occasions, having previously achieved the feat in the 2020–21 season.

Devdutt Padikkal has now become first batter score 700-plus runs in multiple seasons of Vijay Hazare Trophy. (X Image)

The milestone further underlines Padikkal’s consistency in the tournament. Only a handful of batters—Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Narayan Jagadeesan and Karun Nair—have managed to score more than 700 runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season. Padikkal, however, stands alone in doing it twice, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most reliable performers in India’s domestic one-day circuit.

Padikkal, the leading run-scorer of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy season, played a match-winning innings to guide his team past Mumbai in the quarterfinal. The left-handed batter remained unbeaten on 81 off 95 balls, hitting 11 fours in a composed display under pressure. Coming into the game needing 60 runs to reach the 700-run milestone for the 2025-26 season, Padikkal delivered when it mattered most. His innings at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru ensured his team crossed the finish line comfortably, underlining why he has been the standout performer of the tournament.

Meanwhile, in the quarter-finals, Karnataka were well on course at 187 for 1 in 33 overs while chasing a modest 255 when rain brought play to a halt. With the VJD par score at 132, Karnataka, 55 runs ahead, were declared winners.

Earlier, Mumbai had posted 254 for 8 after Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal chose to bowl at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1. Shams Mulani was the lone standout for Mumbai, scoring a brilliant 86 to stabilise the innings following a top-order collapse.

In response, Padikkal (81 not out; 95 balls, 11 fours) and Nair (74 not out; 80 balls, 11 fours) guided Karnataka to an easy position. Padikkal now has 715 runs from eight innings this season, including four centuries and two fifties, at an average of 102.14.