Best playing XI from the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022

Saurashtra clinched their second Vijay Hazare Trophy title, defeating Maharashtra by five wickets in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 2.

The 2019-20 Ranji Trophy champions put in clinical performances all season. After restricting Maharashtra to 248/9, they cruised to their target thanks to a stellar unbeaten 133 by Sheldon Jackson.

Right through this season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a number of individual performances across teams have made all and sundry sit up and take note. Some of the players even went on a fun record-breaking spree, etching their names into the tournament's rich folklore.

On that note, we pick our best playing XI from the just concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.

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Openers - Narayan Jagadeesan (wk) and B Sai Sudharsan

It's a no-brainer, isn't it? The Tamil Nadu duo of Narayan Jagadeesan and B Sai Sudharsan will replicate their roles for the best XI as well. They were the architects of Tamil Nadu's quarter-final run at the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 and broke records aplenty along the way.

Jagadeesan topped the scoring charts with 830 runs, including a record-breaking five centuries on the trot, while his left-handed opening partner piled up 610 runs at a strike rate of 111.92, scoring three hundreds and two fifties.

Five partnerships in excess of 150, including stands of 233, 276, and 416, tell you exactly why the duo walks in as the opening combination in the XI.

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Middle order - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankit Bawne and Azim Kazi

It's an all-Maharashtra affair in the middle order and headlining is their skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. He played the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 as an opener, but with Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan occupying those slots, the Chennai Super Kings opener slots in at No. 3.

Three centuries in the knockouts, including a double-hundred in the quarter-finals that saw him shellack seven sixes off an over, headlined his dream season. His senior teammate Ankit Bawne compiled 587 runs, including two fifties and two centuries, at an average of 83.85 while striking at a rate of 101.55.

The left-handed Azim Kazi was one of their standout performers too, racking up 421 runs at a stunning strike rate of 127.19. He turned in many impactful knocks on a consistent basis and his strike rate suggests that he brings the aggression needed to this lineup.

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All-rounders - Riyan Parag and Swarupam Purkayastha

Every time Assam were under pressure in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022, Riyan Parag was there to rescue them with the bat. With 552 runs at an average of 69.00 and a strike rate of 123.21, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter posted three centuries, including a blistering 174 against Jammu and Kashmir in the quarterfinals. Parag also snared 10 wickets with his off-spinners.

The more senior Swarupam Purkayastha turned up clutch in the lower-middle order for Assam. While he scored 288 runs, the off-spinning all-rounder's unbeaten 112 scripted a famous win over Karnataka, before his 95 so nearly got them over the line against Maharashtra in the semi-finals.

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Bowlers - Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat (c), Vasuki Koushik, and Kuldeep Sen

Left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja not only scalped 15 wickets at an average of 21.80 but managed to do so at an economy rate of 3.82. That, alongside captain Jaydev Unadkat's table-topping 19 wickets for the tournament, went a long way in sealing the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 title for Saurashtra.

Karnataka seamer Vasuki Koushik came second only to Unadkat with 18 wickets from nine games. While his teammate Vidwath Kaverappa was also close to making the XI, Koushik's scarcely-believable economy rate of 2.70 means that he just couldn't sit out of this team.

To add the pace factor, Kuldeep Sen rounds off this XI. 18 wickets from six games for Madhya Pradesh saw him enjoy a stellar Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign and he emerged with a bowling strike rate of 14.2. He is currently in Bangladesh with the Indian ODI team as well.

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Who do you think was unfortunate to miss the cut in this playing XI of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!

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