Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Punjab and Vidarbha Storm into Semi-Finals

The knockout stage matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 have reached a critical point, and the outcome in the quarter-finals has left no room for doubt about the semi-finals. In the third and fourth quarter-finals in the tournament, Punjab and Vidarbha scored resounding wins over their opponents to qualify for the semi-finals. Punjab thrashed Madhya Pradesh by a huge margin of 183 runs in the third quarter-final, and Vidarbha overcame Delhi by a significant margin of 76 runs in the fourth quarter-final. Vidarbha would lock horns with Karnataka in the first semi-final match, which would take place on the 15th of January, while Punjab would face Saurashtra in the second semi-final match, which would take place on the 16th.

In the third quarter-final, Punjab performed very well in every aspect against Madhya Pradesh and dominated the entire match. Batting first, Punjab set a formidable target of 345 runs after playing the full fifty overs. Opener Prabhsimran Singh played a brilliant innings of 88 runs off 86 balls, earning him the Man of the Match award.

Anmolpreet Singh (70 runs) and Nehal Wadhera (56 runs) also scored half-centuries. In response, Madhya Pradesh appeared under pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals. The team was all out for 162 runs in 31.2 overs, giving Punjab a commanding victory of 183 runs. Sanvir Singh took three wickets for Punjab.

The fourth quarter-final was played between Vidarbha and Delhi, where Vidarbha, batting first, posted a strong total of 300 runs. Chasing the target, Delhi's start was not as expected, and wickets kept falling. The team could only manage 224 runs in 45.1 overs. Thus, Vidarbha won the match by 76 runs and advanced to the semi-finals. Vidarbha's Yash Rathod (86 runs from 73 balls) was named Man of the Match for his brilliant innings.