Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal were called up for the ODIs after Vijay Hazare’s strong performance. Sanju scored 293 in 7 innings and Chahal scored 18 wickets.
The 2023/24 Vijay Hazare Trophy is now a thing of the past. The Haryana team beat neighbors Rajasthan on Saturday to win their maiden title, buoyed by strong performances in the final and throughout the season. Ankit Kumar (88) and captain Ashok Menaria (70) made valuable contributions with the bat to take Haryana’s score to 287 while Sumit Kumar and Harshal Patel took three wickets each to end the proceedings.
The Haryana team are now champions and it’s time for them to bask in that glory before the grueling Ranji Trophy season begins. Meanwhile, it is also time to observe the brilliant performance of rejected Indians who are knocking on the doors of voters eager to return.
Deepak Hooda delivers to Rajasthan
Unsurprisingly, the first name that comes to mind is Deepak Hooda. The Rajasthan skipper, who has no chance of winning the final, has played 10 ODIs and 21 T20Is for India in the past, with his last international appearance coming in February 2023. He has made a strong comeback in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 480 runs. . in nine matches, including two tons and the same number of fifty. He averaged 68 points in the tournament, and it showed again. In fact, he finished third in points after Arslan Khan (508) and Ankita Bawne (506).
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not even close to being the top scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his 11 goals in five matches only serves as a reminder that he is not finished yet. He last played for India in 2022, for reasons unknown, but his economy of 4.96 in the tournament suggests that he still has the desire to play for India. In a match against Rajasthan, he scored 4/20.
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Why is Harshal not in T20I?
Another player who deserves attention is Vijay Hazare Trophy winner Harshal Patel. He finished with 19 goals in 10 matches and was joint top scorer. He also maintained an average of 20/wicket. While he won’t suit the ODI setup, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be included in the scheme of things in the T20I side. The 33-year-old last played for India in January 2023.
