Padikkal eclipses Ishan's ton with a classy 147

In one of the highest-scoring thrillers of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, defending champions Karnataka pulled off a sensational five-wicket victory over Jharkhand,

chasing down a towering 413 with 15 balls to spare on Wednesday.

Jharkhand's explosive 412/9 looked like a winning total, fueled by Ishan Kishan's brutal 125 off just 39 balls-featuring 14 sixes and 7 fours-but Devdutt Padikkal's composed yet destructive 147 off 118 balls (10 fours, 7 sixes) steered Karnataka to 413/5 in 47.3 overs.

Jharkhand's innings started steadily with opener Shikhar Mohan anchoring 44 runs, but the real momentum built through the middle order. Virat Singh's patient 88 and Kumar Kushagra's 63 formed a crucial 129-run fourth-wicket partnership, setting the stage for Kishan's carnage. The Jharkhand skipper, fresh from earning a recall to India's T20 World Cup squad next year, unleashed pure mayhem in the death overs, smashing 93 runs off his final 20 balls to propel his side past 400. Karnataka's bowlers, led by Abhilash Shetty's impressive 4/72, fought back but couldn't stem the tide.

Opting to field first proved a masterstroke for Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal, whose aggressive 54 off 34 balls (10 boundaries) ignited the chase alongside Padikkal. The duo raced to 114 runs in just 11.5 overs, with Agarwal's powerplay aggression (including multiple sixes) putting Jharkhand's bowlers under immediate pressure. Padikkal, thriving in List A cricket this season, transitioned seamlessly from flair to focus, picking gaps and launching clean sixes to keep the required rate under control.

A brief wobble followed Agarwal's dismissal, but Karnataka's depth shone through. Karun Nair (29), Ravichandran Smaran (27), and Krishan Srijith (38) provided stability during the middle overs, ensuring no collapse. The match's turning point came in the slog overs: Abhinav Manohar (56* off 32) and Dhruv Prabhakar (40* off 22) forged an unbeaten 88-run sixth-wicket stand off just 41 balls, blending calculated risks with brute force. Manohar's late surge, including three sixes, silenced any Jharkhand hopes, while Utkarsh Singh's 2/71 was the lone bright spot for the bowlers.

This win underscores Karnataka's batting firepower and composure under pressure, extending their dominance in Group A. For Kishan, the knock reaffirms his white-ball pedigree despite the loss, while Padikkal's effort cements his status as a chase maestro.

Brief scores: Jharkhand 412/9 in 50 overs (Ishan Kishan 125, Virat Singh 88, Kumar Kushagra 63; Abhilash Shetty 4/72) lost to Karnataka 413/5 in 47.3 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 147, Mayank Agarwal 54, Abhinav Manohar 56*; Utkarsh Singh 2/71) by 5 wickets.