After seven rounds of the group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26, the competition has finally got its eight teams who will log on between themselves in the four quarterfinals before getting promoted into the two semi-finals of the event.

In the bowling department, Uttar Pradesh’s Zeeshan Ansari ended as the joint leading wicket taker with Satyanarayana Raju of Andhra Pradesh, with 21 wickets in seven innings.

A look at the top 5 bowling performances from Day 7 of Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26

1.   Shivang Kumar (Madhya Pradesh)

The young left-arm wrist spinner of Madhya Pradesh, Shivam Kumar, locked horns against Karnataka in the last group-stage round of competition, where he ended up with five wickets in his 10-over spell at a fine economy rate of 4.5, including the vital wickets of Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, and Abhinav Manohar.

Shivam was signed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a base price of INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction, which now seems to be a smart pick by the IPL 2016 Champions. Against Gopal, Shivam bowled a perfect delivery that pitched outside the leg stump of the right-handed batter and spun to beat the batter’s edge and hit the top of off stump.

Brief Score: Madhya Pradesh 208/3 (Venkatesh Iyer 65*, Vidyadhar Patil 1/24) beat Karnataka 207 (Mayank Agarwal 49, Shivam Kumar 5/45) by 7-wickets.

2.   Eden Apple Tom (Kerala)

 The Kerala pacer. Eden Apple Tom, who made his debut in List A cricket last year, has struggled in the 50-over domestic format at an economy rate of over seven. However, during the clash against Tamil Nadu in Ahmedabad, he was excellent with the right line and length to pick up six wickets in his nine-over spell for 46 runs.

See Also: Hardik Pandya celebrates 19-ball 50 vs Chandigarh during Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26

His wickets included the opponent captain and wicket-keeper batter, Narayan Jagadishan, who drilled a fine knock of 139 runs in 126 balls as Tamil Nadu made their way to 294 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs. Eden bowls with the slingy action and makes it quite hard for the batter to adjust to this release point, as he needs to work more on his consistency.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 294/8 (Narayan Jagadeesan 139, Eden Apple Tom 6/46) beat Kerala 217 (Rohan Kunnummal 73, Mohammad Ali 4/36) by 77 runs.

3.   Sushant Mishra (Jharkhand)

India is in need of a left-arm seamer in ODI cricket apart from Arshdeep Singh. And Jharkhand Sushant Mishra has knocked on the door with a consistent performance in the ongoing 50-over domestic performance, as he came into the last round group stage with nine wickets in the previous five games.

Against Goa, the 25-year-old ended up with six wickets in his 10-over spell for 52 runs, including wickets of the top four batters. He cleaned up the top three of the opposition inside the first five overs before coming back to break the 258-run partnership to send back Sridam Paul, who made 150 in the innings.

Brief Scores: Tripura 320 (Sridam Paul 150, Rajat Dey 102, Sushant Mishra 6/52) beat Jharkhand 123 (Manishi 40, Abhijit Sarkar 4/40) by 197 runs.

4.   Gurnoor Brar (Punjab)

When Mumbai bundled out Punjab for just 216, it was expected to be an easy chase for the massive batting lineup, which was decorated with Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfraz Khan, and Musheer Khan. But Punjab held their nerves and kept picking wickets for the entire second innings.

Both Gurnoor Brar and Mayank Markande picked up four-wicket hauls, but the former’s four wickets were massive as they came against the top four batters, including Sky and Dube. Brar ended with a fine figure of four for 57 while Markande picked up four wickets for 31 runs as Punjab completed the victory by one run to bundle out Mumbai for 215 in 26.2 overs.

Brief Scores: Punjab 216 (Anmolpreet Singh 57, Musheer Khan 3/37) beat Mumbai 215 (Sarfaraz Khan 62, Mayank Markande 4/31, Gurnoor Brar 4/57) by 1 run.

5.   Ishant Sharma (Delhi)

At the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, Delhi delivered a heroic bowling performance against Haryana to bundle out the opposition for 105 runs inside 26 overs as the veteran pacer Ishant Sharma ended with three wickets for 17 runs in his seven overs. 

He was well supported by Navdeep Saini and Prince Yadav, both of whom also picked up three wickets in their respective bowling, before Delhi completed the chase inside 14 overs by 9 wickets in hand as Nitish Rana remained unbeaten on 57 runs in just 39 balls.

Brief Scores: Delhi 107/1 (Nitish Rana 57*, Anuj Thakrai 1/30) beat Haryana 105 (Ashish Siwach 33, Ishant Sharma 3/17) by 9-wickets. 

The Gujarat Titans have made a significant addition to their squad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season by signing Gurnoor Singh Brar as a replacement for the injured left-arm pacer Sushant Mishra.

Gurnoor Singh Brar: The New Signing

Gurnoor Singh Brar, a promising right-arm fast bowler from Punjab, joins Gujarat Titans with a reputation for his ability to extract pace and bounce from the pitch. Having played five first-class matches and one List-A game for Punjab in domestic cricket, Brar brings valuable experience and skill to the Gujarat Titans lineup. His aggressive bowling style and knack for hitting the deck hard make him a formidable asset for the team. He signs in for his reserve price of INR 50 lakhs.

See Also: IPL 2024, KKR vs MI: Rain delays toss at Eden Gardens

Sushant Mishra’s Injury

Meanwhile, Sushant Mishra, the talented left-arm pacer from Jharkhand, finds himself sidelined due to a side injury. With a promising career trajectory that includes representing India in the 2020 Men’s U19 World Cup and impressive performances in domestic cricket, Mishra’s absence will be felt by the Gujarat Titans. However, the franchise remains hopeful for his swift recovery and return to action.

Gujarat Titans’ Performance in IPL 2024

In the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Gujarat Titans have shown glimpses of their potential but have yet to find consistency. With 10 points from 12 matches, they currently occupy the eighth spot on the points table, with a net run rate of -1.063. Their upcoming fixture against the table-topping Kolkata Knight Riders presents an opportunity for them to turn the tide and climb up the rankings.

Sushant Mishra: A Talent Worth Nourishing

Sushant Mishra’s journey in cricket began under the guidance of Shashikant Pathak at the Argora Cricket Academy in Ranchi. Rising through the ranks with determination and perseverance, Mishra earned recognition for his skills, eventually making his mark in domestic cricket and the IPL. Despite his injury setback, Mishra remains a talent worth nurturing for Indian cricket.