The Vijay Hazare Trophy came to an exciting finish as Himachal Pradesh got the better of Tamil Nadu in the summit clash. A century from Dinesh Karthik put Tamil Nadu in a strong position, but a hundred in response from Shubham Arora and an explosive cameo from Rishi Dhawan gave Himachal Pradesh a narrow DLS win.

Here’s Wisden’s VHT 2021/22 Team of the Tournament.

Ruturaj Gaikwad

603 runs @ 150.75, SR: 112.92

Ruturaj Gaikwad batted five times in the tournament, and the only time he did not score 124 or more in an innings was when he was dismissed for 21 against Uttarakhand. The opener has been in the form of his life: after topping the run-charts in the IPL, he went on to score 259 runs in the SMAT that followed. Gaikwad was the only player from the tournament to make more than 500 runs. Known more for his ability to score runs down the ground, he also hit 19 sixes in the tournament, the third-most by any player.

Prashant Chopra

456 runs @ 57, SR: 73.31

The third-highest run-scorer of the tournament, Chopra was invaluable for his team, and had a huge role to play in Himachal Pradesh’s winning campaign. He scored five successive fifties (73, 51, 64, 99 and 78) and often held one end up, and together with Shubham Arora, formed a successful opening pair.

KS Bharat (WK)

370 runs @ 92.50, SR: 108.18

The player pips Dinesh Karthik as the wicketkeeper of the side, for his ability to bat in the top-order. Bharat smashed back-to-back 150+ scores, against Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, respectively. He also claimed four catches against Jammu and Kashmir.

Rinku Singh

379 runs @ 94.75, SR: 89.17

The Uttar Pradesh player batted in six innings, scoring four fifties and a hundred to end as one of the most consistent players for the side. The fact that he scored twice as many runs as the next best in his side indicates how crucial he was in the middle-order.

Venkatesh Iyer

379 runs @ 63.16, SR: 133.92
9 wickets @ 30.66, ER: 5.75

The all-rounder who is grabbing all the attention after a potentially career-changing IPL, Venkatesh Iyer ended with two hundreds and one fifty in the campaign. His knock of 151 when Madhya Pradesh were struggling at 56-4 against Chandigarh displays his temperament and skills to battle it out in pressure situations. Iyer also smashed 21 maximums, the most number of sixes hit by a player in the edition. He also picked up crucial wickets with the ball.

Shahrukh Khan

253 runs @ 42.16, SR: 186.02

What stands out is the Tamil Nadu player’s strike rate of over 186, which is the highest among players who made more than 50 runs in the tournament. He scored a crucial 79 off just 39 balls in the quarter-final to take his team to 354-8, and was on fire in the final as well, making 42 off 21 deliveries, though his efforts proved to be in vain in the end.

Rishi Dhawan

458 runs @ 76.33, SR: 127.22
17 wickets @ 23.35, ER: 6

The Himachal Pradesh skipper was not only impressive with the bat and ball, but also led with inspiration, guiding his team to the title. He was the second-highest run-scorer and wicket-taker of the VHT 2021/22, to suggest that he should be given another go in the Indian white-ball team.

Washington Sundar

16 wickets @ 17.93, ER: 4.77

The highest wicket-taker among spinners in the tournament, Washington Sundar made a strong comeback after a return from injury. He also scored a crucial 70 in the semis against Saurashtra, taking his team to 314-8. He also picked up a five-wicket haul in the competition.

Praveen Dubey

10 wickets @ 21.10, ER: 4.30

The Karnataka player’s abilities with the bat helps him get into the XI over Yuzvendra Chahal. Dubey picked up 4-29 against Mumbai, and followed it up with a fine 3-67 against Tamil Nadu in the final. He scored a crucial 37* against Bengal, and also 26 against Tamil Nadu lower down the order in the second quarter-final.

Raghupathy Silambarasan

15 wickets @ 16.6, ER: 4.8

The right-arm fast bowler played a big role in Tamil Nadu’s run into the final. He ended the tournament as the side’s top quick, and was impressive in the quarters and semis, picking up a combined seven wickets in the two innings. He picked up two four-fors, overall, and could be a player to watch out for in the upcoming IPL auctions.

Shivam Mavi

15 wickets @ 17.20, ER: 4.38

The Uttar Pradesh pacer was able to keep things tight, and was the top wicket-taker for Uttar Pradesh in the competition. He bowled fast, and accurately, and his strike rate of 23.5 indicates how effective he was.