Atharva Taide delivered a knock of exceptional quality to headline Vidarbha’s historic triumph in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, as a composed batting effort backed by disciplined bowling sealed a comfortable 38-run victory over Saurashtra in the final on Sunday. Vidarbha laid the foundation with a commanding total of 317 for eight, built around Taide’s superb 128 from 118 balls, an innings that featured 15 boundaries and three sixes. The target proved beyond Saurashtra, who were eventually bowled out for 279 in 48.5 overs despite pockets of resistance.
The chase never truly settled for Saurashtra. They lost two early wickets to slide to 30 for two and were further pushed into trouble at 112 for four in the 23rd over. Still, they refused to fold quietly. Prerak Mankad and Chirag Jani stitched together a gritty 93-run partnership for the fifth wicket that briefly revived hopes. Mankad anchored the stand with a determined 88 from 92 balls, while Jani contributed a fluent 64 off 63 deliveries. Their approach relied more on placement and patience than aggression, and Vidarbha’s sloppy fielding during the middle overs helped prolong the contest. Missed chances proved costly, with Mankad dropped on 70 at mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey and Jani reprieved on 14 at long-on off Parth Rekhade. The resistance finally ended when Mankad was trapped in front while attempting to cut left-arm spinner Dubey, who finished with figures of 1 for 59. Jani followed soon after, undone by pacer Darshan Nalkande as his mistimed stroke found Aman Mokhade near sweeper cover. From there, Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute took charge, sharing seven wickets between them to close out the innings. Thakur returned with 4 for 50, while Bhute claimed 3 for 46, sparking jubilant celebrations in the Vidarbha camp. Earlier, Taide had produced a model one-day innings to put his side firmly in control. Not known for flamboyance, the left-hander relied on strength of purpose and smart shot selection, quietly accumulating runs as he worked the field with precision. As the shadows lengthened at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, he picked gaps with ease, mixing elegant cover drives with powerful hits over mid-wicket. Even when Saurashtra tightened their lines, led by Chetan Sakariya, Taide never looked hurried. His ability to rotate strike ensured momentum never dipped. He reached his fifty off 66 balls, striking seven fours, before shifting gears decisively. The next fifty came in just 31 deliveries and included five boundaries and two sixes, underlining his control over the innings. It marked his third List A century. Taide added 133 runs for the second wicket with Yash Rathod, who played a lively supporting role with 54 from 61 balls, as Vidarbha maintained a scoring rate in excess of six an over. Earlier, Taide had also featured in an 80-run opening stand with Aman Mokhade, who made 33 in a comparatively modest contribution. When Taide departed with the score at 213 for two, Vidarbha were already well placed. The middle and lower order chipped in with useful runs to push the total beyond 300, a score that ultimately proved more than enough. By the end of the night, Vidarbha were celebrating their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title, powered by a performance that combined composure, resilience and timely execution.
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