The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023/24 is already a thing of the past now. Team Haryana beat neighbours Rajasthan to take home their maiden title on Saturday, backed by some solid performances in the final, as well as throughout the season. Ankit Kumar (88), and skipper Ashok Menaria (70) chipped in with valuable contributions with the bat, to take Haryana’s score to 287, while Sumit Kumar and Harshal Patel bagged three wickets each to end the proceedings.
Team Haryana are the champions now, and it’s time for them to bask in this glory before a grueling Ranji Trophy season starts. Meanwhile, it’s also time to look at some of the stellar performances by India discards, who are knocking on the doors of the selectors, to make a comeback.
Deepak Hooda Delivers for Rajasthan
Without any doubt, the first name that comes to mind is Deepak Hooda. The Rajasthan skipper, who was out for a duck in the final, has played 10 ODIs and 21 T20Is for India in the past, with his last international coming in February 2023. He had solid returns in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, slamming 480 runs in nine matches, including two tons and as many fifties. He averaged 68 in the tournament, making his presence felt once again. In fact, he finished at the third-highest run-scorer after Arslan Khan (508) and Ankit Bawne (506).
Although Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not even close to being the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but his 11 wickets in five matches, only serves as a reminder that he is not done yet. He last played for India in 2022 only, for reasons unknown, but his economy of 4.96 in the tournament shows, he still has it in him to play for India. In one of the matches against Rajasthan, he picked up 4/20.
Why No Harshal in T20Is?
Another player who deserves a look-in is Vijay Hazare Trophy winner Harshal Patel. He finished with 19 wickets in 10 matches and is the joint-highest wicket-taker. He also maintained an average of 20/wicket. Although, he doesn’t fit the ODI setup, but there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in the scheme of things for the T20I side. The 33-year-old last played for India in January 2023.
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