Karnataka’s only defeat in the group stage came in their final league outing on January 8, but they will back themselves to bring their best against Mumbai in a high-stakes knockout encounter.
Padikkal has been in sublime touch, topping the tournament’s run charts with 640 runs from seven innings, including four centuries and a half-century. If he continues to pile on runs, it will be difficult for the selectors to overlook him as attention gradually shifts towards the 2027 ODI World Cup once the T20 showpiece concludes in a couple of months.
Sarfaraz, too, has been pressing his case by seamlessly carrying his explosive T20 form into the 50-over format. In Mumbai’s surprise defeat to Punjab in their final league match, Sarfaraz struck the fastest fifty by an Indian in men’s List A cricket. Although the result had no bearing on qualification, it served as yet another reminder to the selectors of his exceptional talent in the shorter formats.
In the other quarterfinal, Uttar Pradesh will start as favourites against Saurashtra after finishing the league stage unbeaten — the only team across the four groups to achieve the feat.
However, Uttar Pradesh will be without Dhruv Jurel, who has joined the Indian ODI squad following a side strain suffered by Rishabh Pant. Jurel was in sensational form during the league phase, amassing 558 runs in seven innings and proving virtually unstoppable.
Saurashtra, meanwhile, recovered strongly after losing two of their first three matches, winning their final four games to seal a place in the last eight. Their batters appear to be hitting form at the right time, while pacer Chetan Sakariya has also found good rhythm heading into the knockout clash.
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