Haryana vs Karnataka,Semi Final 1 (Winner Of QF 1 v QF 4),Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25,2025-01-15 08:00 GMT

Haryana vs Karnataka Match Preview, SemiFinal 1

Match Details

• Match: Haryana vs Karnataka, SemiFinal 1
• Venue: Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara
• Date and Time: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 1:30 PM IST (8:00 AM GMT)

Pitch Report

The surface at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara provides decent assistance for both batters and bowlers. The team winning the toss may decide to bat first. The new ball might swing around for a few overs in the second innings, and the opening batters will have to show some patience.

Team Preview

Haryana

Haryana will be banking on in-form players such as Nishant Sindhu, Anshul Kamboj, and Ankit Kumar to get the job done for their side. Ankit Kumar has scored 507 runs from 10 matches at a fine average of 56.33, while the 20-year-old Nishant Sindhu has been brilliant with both bat and ball. Sindhu has scored 313 runs with the willow and has picked 12 wickets with his left-arm spin at an excellent economy rate of 4.98. Anshul Kamboj has been very impressive with the ball, having claimed 18 wickets in 10 games while playing a vital role in Haryana's run to the semifinals.

Karnataka

Karnataka, on the other hand, have the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Gopal, and Vijaykumar Vyshak in their ranks. Mayank Agarwal has been in excellent form, scoring 619 runs at an average of 123.80 while striking the ball at a rate of 109.75. KV Aneesh has totalled 342 runs from eight matches, and Devdutt Padikkal had smashed a century in their win over Baroda in the quarterfinals. Shreyas Gopal and Vasuki Koushik have been the top performers with the ball, picking up 16 and 17 wickets respectively.

Head-to-Head

In their last five meetings, Karnataka have had the upper hand, winning three matches, while Haryana have won one. One match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Key Players to Watch

• Batters: Ankit Kumar (Haryana), Nishant Sindhu (Haryana), Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka), KV Aneesh (Karnataka)
• Bowlers: Anshul Kamboj (Haryana), Amit Rana (Haryana), Vasuki Koushik (Karnataka), Shreyas Gopal (Karnataka)

Prediction

This promises to be a closely contested match, with both teams having the potential to win. However, Karnataka's experience and form might give them a slight edge. Haryana will need to bring their A-game to overcome the defending champions. The match is expected to be a high-scoring thriller, with the team batting first aiming to post a total in excess of 300.