Uttar Pradesh cruise to comfortable win over Hyderabad in Vijay Hazare Trophy opener
Uttar Pradesh began their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 campaign in style, defeating Hyderabad by 84 runs. India internationals Dhruv Jurel and Rinku Singh played the starring roles with composed half-centuries, laying the foundation for a defendable total and an ultimately convincing victory.
Match summary
Batting first, Uttar Pradesh put together a disciplined innings anchored by Jurel and Rinku. Their half-centuries steadied the innings at crucial stages and allowed the team to post a competitive score. When Hyderabad came out to chase, UP’s bowlers applied consistent pressure and picked up wickets at regular intervals, never allowing the visitors to build meaningful partnerships.
Batting highlights
- Dhruv Jurel provided calm and timing at the top of the order, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries. His half-century was a blend of classical strokeplay and smart running between the wickets.
- Rinku Singh complemented Jurel with power and intent, turning momentum back in UP’s favour when the innings needed acceleration. His innings contained decisive boundaries and well-timed hits that pushed the total into a safe zone.
- Support from the middle order helped accelerate the scoring towards the end, ensuring Uttar Pradesh had enough runs on the board to put scoreboard pressure on Hyderabad.
Bowling and fielding performance
Once Hyderabad began their chase, Uttar Pradesh’s attack kept things tight. The bowlers mixed pace and variation well, forcing errors and creating wicket-taking opportunities. Fielding standards were high — sharp ground fielding and a couple of key stops helped stem the flow of runs, further hampering Hyderabad’s chase.
Key moments
- Two well-timed half-centuries that took the steam out of Hyderabad’s plans.
- Early breakthroughs in the chase that tilted momentum back in UP’s favour.
- Disciplined death bowling that prevented any late surge from Hyderabad.
What it means for both teams
For Uttar Pradesh, this win is a strong start to their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign. The contributions from Jurel and Rinku will boost the team’s confidence and give the skipper plenty of selection options moving forward.
Hyderabad, meanwhile, will need to regroup. The bowlers were unable to restrict the UP batters at key times, and the batting line-up couldn’t recover from early setbacks. There are positives to take, but improvement is needed in both departments to keep pace in a competitive group stage.
Looking ahead
Uttar Pradesh will look to build on this momentum as the tournament progresses, while Hyderabad must address the lapses that cost them this match. With strong domestic talent on show, the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 promises tight contests and plenty of individual performances to watch.