Venkatesh Iyer returns on a two-ball duck vs Punjab (Source: @Saabir_Saabu01/x.com)
The ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy is spreading unreal excitement, but the knockout stage has taken the drama to another level. While some batters are lighting up the tournament, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer found himself on the wrong end of a bizarre low.
After the Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a massive bid on the all-rounder, fans expected some fireworks from him. Instead, amid the slump, his two-ball duck against Punjab in the third quarter-final only deepened the woes.
Another duck pushes Venkatesh Iyer to rock bottom
The cricket world knows about Venkatesh Iyer’s all-round excellence, and the expectation became high after the RCB bought him for 7 crore in the IPL 2026 mini auction. As the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy commenced just after that, the exception was high on high, but the Madhya Pradesh batter witnessed a bizarre slump in his form.
Starting the tournament with setbacks, it only grew with time, and the third quarter final against Punjab is the biggest example of that. While bowling first, he secured two crucial wickets but also proved to be a little expensive, conceding 60 runs in seven overs with an economy rate of 8.57.
As the fans expected a thriller show from him with the bat while chasing down the massive total, the all-rounder disappointed them again. As Madhya Pradesh’s nightmare deepened, skipper Venkatesh Iyer walked in at No. 5 and departed for a deflating two-ball duck.
In eight matches this season, he scored just 176 runs with just one half-century and secured seven scalps with an economy rate of 5.54. His bizarre outing in the entire tournament has become a massive concern for the fans now.
Madhya Pradesh suffered a shocking collapse
Since the tournament commenced last month, Madhya Pradesh dominated the opponent with their exceptional form. But things took a different form on the big stage as the side faced a bizarre collapse in the third Quarter-final against Punjab. Bowling first, MP were put under severe pressure as Punjab tore into their attack with ruthless intent.
Despite two wickets apiece from Tripuresh Singh and Venkatesh Iyer and a tight spell from Aryan Pandey, Punjab powered their way to a daunting total. Chasing down the daunting total, Madhya Pradesh faced a nightmare on the field.
Facing the fierce Punjab bowlers, the batters failed to stitch an impactful partnership. Scoring 38 runs in 40 balls, Rajat Patidar remained their highest run scorer as Madhya Pradesh faced a massive 183-run defeat, ending their innings in 162 runs.
Punjab seal a dominant spot in the semifinals
Throughout the tournament, Punjab has delivered their top performance, and the clash against Madhya Pradesh was no exception. Batting first, the batters brought out their best and posted a giant total of 345 runs.
Channeling their dominance in the second innings, they restricted the opponent to just 162 runs. Sanvir Singh’s outstanding three wickets, Gurnoor Brar, Krish Bhagat, and Ramandeep Singh’s exceptional bowling made the difference. With a massive victory, they made their way to the semifinal, aiming for the coveted trophy.
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