Kerala unleashed a batting blitz and bowling masterclass to demolish Tripura by 145 runs in a Group A clash of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite 2025-26 at Gujarat College Ground in Ahmedabad.
Tripura won the toss and bowled, but Kerala capitalized ruthlessly, piling up 348/8 in 50 overs. Playing without their talisman Sanju Samson, Kerala never looked troubled in the match.
Captain Rohan Kunnummal set the tone with a commanding 94 off 92 balls (11 fours, 3 sixes), anchoring a crucial 129-run third-wicket stand with Baba Aparajith’s gritty 64 off 73. Vishnu Vinod then erupted for an unbeaten 102 off 62 at the end which had 6 sixes. His explosive 69-run partnership with Akhil Scaria (18) propelling Kerala past 300. Ankit Sharma chipped in with 28 off 26 as well.
Manisankar Murasingh claimed 3/72 in a probing 10-over spell, striking early to dismiss Abhishek P Nair (21) and Ahammed Imran (0). Vijay Shankar (2/57) and Abhijit K Sarkar (2/60) fought back, removing Kunnummal and Aparajith, but couldn’t stem the flow.
Chasing 349, openers Tejasvi Jaiswal (40 off 59) and Udiyan Bose (29 off 27) added 60 for the first wicket, but the middle order crumbled. Tripura collapsed to 203 all out in 36.5 overs as the Kerala bowlers dominated the proceedings. Sridam Paul blazed 67 off 50 (1×4, 6×6, SR 134), stitching a 50-run stand with Rajat Dey, but it was not good enough for Tripura.
Baba Aparajith stole the show with a sensational 5/15 in 5.5 overs, ripping through the lower order for Kerala’s best bowling figures. Ankit Sharma (2/49) and Vignesh Puthur (1/28) provided sharp support, with KM Asif (1/48) and Nidheesh (1/35) mopping up for them. Tripura lost their last five wickets for 23 runs, thus the southern state registered a mammoth win.