THOUGH a good team never dwells on weakness of the opponents owing to absence of top players, it surely adds to its advantage. Same will be the case when last year’s finalists Vidarbha take on a depleted Delhi in their Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Vidarbha finished below Uttar Pradesh in Elite Group B with five wins from seven games while Delhi were Group D toppers with six victories from seven games and ending with 24 points ahead of Saurashtra, who had 20. After that close loss in their opening encounter against Bengal, Vidarbha, have been played some fantastic all-round cricket. They scored in excess of 300 runs on numerous occasions and the batting unit failed just once against Uttar Pradesh ... resulting in their second loss.

 

 

With their batters oozing with confidence, Vidarbha have scored a nine-wicket and an 8-wicket win which is not an easy thing to do in the 50-overs format. Opener Aman Mokhade (637 from 7 games) has been in red-hot form hitting four centuries and a fifty. He is second in the most-runs chart (this season) behind India player Devdutt Padikkal (721 from 8 games). Dhruv Shorey and R Samarth along with Atharva Taide, have been supporting Mokhade. Another big knock is due from the blade of Shorey, who started the tourney with back to back hundreds to equal record for most consecutive List A tons, with five in a row. Samarth, who has a century and two half centuries to his credit in his maiden season for Vidarbha, took on the mantle when situation demanded. Vidarbha will also hope that home-grown talent Yash Rathod, who has had a pretty average season so far, fires with the bat. Skipper Harsh Dubey has manned his men well on the field.

 

Though the left-arm spinner has not taken number of wickets he would have liked, he has been most economical of the bowlers on many occasions. His deputy, seamer Yash Thakur, has that knack of getting wickets. Other bowlers including Nachiket Bhute, Praful Hinge, Darshan Nalkande, Parth Rekhade and Yash Kadam have played their roles. If the Usmani Ghani-coached side plays to its potential, a Delhi upset is on the cards. Delhi has lost two stalwarts in Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. While the former is on India duty, the latter is recuperating from an injury. They do not have services of pacer Harshit Rana, also playing ODIs for the nation. Young talent Ayush Badoni, who was the original designated vice-captain of the side and led in absence of Pant, has been called for India duty in place of an injured Washington Sundar. With four pillars missing, it will be a Herculean task for the team from the capital to match Vidarbha. Still, Delhi boast of talented batters Nitish Rana, Priyansh Arya and Yash Dhull and seamers including Prince Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Ishant Sharma, who can be more than handy on their day.