The quarterfinals of the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy ended on Tuesday, January 13. Punjab, Karnataka, Vidarbha, and Saurashtra qualified for the semifinals. Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh were knocked out of the tournament.

Several international players were unavailable due to the ongoing India–New Zealand ODI series. Players like Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant did not feature, which affected the performance of Mumbai and Delhi. Meanwhile, batters such as Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Shams Mulani, and Sameer Rizvi impressed with strong performances.

In this article, we look at five big IPL players who failed to perform in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 quarterfinals.

Also read -Watch: KKR all-rounder secures Punjab's place in VHT 2025-26 semi-finals

1. Venkatesh Iyer

Madhya Pradesh captain and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a poor outing with the bat. He was dismissed for a two-ball duck, lbw to Sanvir Singh, as Punjab defeated Madhya Pradesh by 183 runs. In the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 176 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 25.14, including one half-century. With the ball, he took seven wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 5.54. RCB bought him for INR 7 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

2. Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi failed to make an impact against Karnataka. He scored 27 runs off 50 balls at a low strike rate of 54. The 21-year-old earlier impressed with scores of 92 and 68 not out against Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. However, his other scores were 38, 11, 11, 23, and 27. KKR retained him for INR 3 crore for IPL 2026. With no Iyer in the squad, Raghuvanshi will have an important role next season.

3. Nitish Rana

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Nitish Rana was out for a golden duck against Vidarbha in the quarterfinal. Delhi lost the match by 76 runs and failed to reach the semifinals. Rana finished the tournament with 255 runs in eight innings at an average of 42.50, including two half-centuries. He was traded to DC ahead of the IPL 2026 auction for INR 4.2 crore, with Donovan Ferreira moving to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange.

4. Rinku Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter and Uttar Pradesh captain Rinku Singh struggled in the quarterfinal against Saurashtra. He scored 13 runs off 20 balls and went wicketless in two overs, giving away 15 runs. Uttar Pradesh lost the match by 17 runs.

Overall, Rinku scored 421 runs in eight matches at an average of 105.25, with one century and three half-centuries. He also took two wickets in the tournament. He will next play T20Is against New Zealand before the IPL 2026 season.

5. Zeeshan Ansari

Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari also had a disappointing quarterfinal. He did not take a wicket and conceded 46 runs in nine overs. Despite this, he is the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets in eight innings. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) retained him for his base price of INR 40 lakh ahead of IPL 2026. Last season, he took six wickets in 10 IPL matches at an economy rate of 9.84. After his strong Vijay Hazare Trophy performance, he will aim to continue the form in the IPL.

IPL 2025: An Angkrish Raghuvanshi show in the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The Delhi-born batter, who later shifted to Mumbai in his young age, has played a stormy 50-run innings of 32 balls, which led Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable 200 on the scoreboard.

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But it was not the first time that Raghuvanshi played with this much pace. Actually, in recent times, he played a 50-run innings by facing only 18 balls, strike rate 277.77; even KKR fans may not be aware of this authoritative innings, which resulted in an easy win for Raghuvanshi's team. Raghuvanshi had played some good hands in the Vijay Hazare Trophy's latest season.

He scored multiple half-centuries for Mumbai; one of the 50s came only after facing 18 balls. The match was against Arunachal Pradesh at the Gujarat College Ground, Maharashtra, where Mumbai won the toss and decided to field first. In this match, Arunachal Pradesh had no match for Mumbai as they bundled only 73 runs in 32.2 overs.

Mumbai chased down that run in the easiest possible manner, with the help of Angkrish Raghuvanshi's quick 50, the best man on the field that day. That innings was decorated with nine 4s and one 6, strike rate 277.77.

In a record-breaking IPL 2024 match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), held at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the visitors set a remarkable total of 272 runs, making it the second-highest score for a team in IPL history. KKR clinched victory with a massive 106-run margin as Delhi Capitals were bowled out for a mere 166 runs in just 17.2 overs.

KKR’s decision to bat first after winning the toss proved fruitful. Sunil Narine wreaked havoc on the DC bowling lineup, capitalizing on the absence of two key players – Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar. Notably, Mitchell Starc secured his first wicket of the season for KKR, contributing to their unbeaten streak of three consecutive wins.

Sunil Narine steals the win for KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders’ star opener, Sunil Narine, showcased an extraordinary display of hitting on Wednesday, scoring a blazing 85 runs off just 39 balls during the match against Delhi Capitals. While Narine fell short of achieving his maiden century, he did register his highest score in a T20 game. Furthermore, his 85 runs stand as the highest individual score in this year’s Indian Premier League thus far.

The West Indian all-rounder made a comeback as an opener for the team in the 2024 season after a significant hiatus. This strategic decision paid off handsomely in the initial games, as Narine consistently provided the side with explosive starts.

Angkrish Raghusvanshi becomes the spotlight

Angkrish Raghusvanshi stole the limelight with an electrifying batting display, smashing a scintillating 54 runs off just 27 balls at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 200.00. The 18-year-old prodigy showcased immense maturity and skill, peppering his innings with 5 boundaries and 3 massive sixes.

Raghusvanshi’s dynamic performance proved pivotal in bolstering Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, standing alongside seasoned campaigners Sunil Narine, who blazed his way to 85 runs, and Andre Russell, who contributed 41 runs. Together, they formed a formidable trio of architects behind KKR’s monumental total of 272/7 in their allotted 20 overs, marking the team’s second-highest total in the history of the IPL. Raghusvanshi’s emergence as a key contributor at such a young age bodes well for KKR’s future prospects in the tournament.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ dominance extended to their bowling performance as well, with pacer Vaibhav Arora and Australian speedster Mitchell Starc wreaking havoc on Delhi Capitals’ top order during the powerplay. The dismissals of key batsmen such as Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, and David Warner set the tone for Kolkata’s formidable bowling display.

See Also: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by 106 runs; Points Table updated

Meanwhile, Delhi’s bowling unit endured a torrid outing, conceding their highest-ever total in the history of the team. Kolkata Knight Riders capitalized on loose deliveries, raining down a barrage of 18 sixes and 28 fours. Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghusvanshi laid a solid foundation early on, accumulating a staggering 88 runs within the powerplay period.

Despite the quick dismissals of Narine and Raghusvanshi, Kolkata’s momentum remained intact, thanks to Andre Russell’s explosive batting onslaught. The Capitals’ bowlers found themselves struggling to contain the relentless aggression displayed by the Knight Riders, ultimately facing a daunting defeat at the hands of their opponents.