Strong balanced best playing XI of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022

With the ODI World Cup scheduled in India next year, there was a lot of context on the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Saurashtra ended as the champions of the tournament. In this article, we take a look at a strong balanced best playing XI of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.

Usually, VHT sees a couple of solid performers in the batting department. This time around, there were some unreal records created by batters while a few bowlers also showed their skills. Overall, it was a productive tournament for Indian cricket.

Openers: N Jagadeesan (WK) and Ruturaj Gaikwad

N Jagadeesan and Ruturaj Gaikwad will headline this strong balanced best playing XI of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. While Ruturaj scored 660 runs in 5 innings, Jagadeesan made 830 runs in 8 innings. Both the batters scored a double hundred, with Jagadeesan even scoring the highest-ever List A score of 277. It was a stunning tournament for the duo and they would now look at continuing this performance.

Middle-Order: B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tripathi, Ankit Bawne and Azim Kazi

Sai Sudharsan scored 610 runs in 8 innings and was the perfect partner for Jagadeesan at the top. Considering he is a left-hander, if he does well like this, the selectors could be interested in him. If not for his national duties, Rahul Tripathi would have gotten more runs. Since he can also play in the middle-order, he finds a place in this squad. Ankit Bawne scored 587 runs in 9 innings and was a great support to Ruturaj in the middle-order. He will be pleased with his show, especially after some forgettable domestic seasons. Azim Kazi impressed many with his striking abilities. With an average of 52 and a strike rate close to 127, a few IPL teams could be interested in him.

All-Rounders: Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag will be the only all-rounder in the strong balanced best playing XI of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022. While Parag was doing well in domestic cricket, he did not have a season which caught the attention of many. He did have this season and he will now look to continue that in the Ranji Trophy.

Bowlers: D Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat (C), Vasuki Koushik and Kuldeep Sen

D Jadeja and Jaydev Unadkat have been veterans in domestic cricket. They both helped Saurashtra win the trophy. Jadeja will lead the spin attack for this side while Unadkat will be the skipper. Kuldeep Sen collected 18 wickets in 6 games and was in top form. He might also make his India debut soon. Koushik was impressive with his economy which was under 3 throughout the tournament. He also collected wickets along with the brilliant economy. Hence, he is in this XI.