The 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic one-day (50-over) cricket tournament, has transformed into a record-shattering “batter’s paradise,” leaving bowlers with little room for error, struggle significantly and fans witnessing historic totals.
From Bihar’s world-record 574/6 to Devdutt Padikkal’s four centuries in five matches, the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 season has redefined what constitutes a “safe” target in Indian List A cricket.
Notably, Day 1 of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 on December 24, had a record-shattering start to the tournament, featuring a total of 22 centuries. This performance broke the previous single-day record of 19 centuries, set in 2021 and matched earlier in 2025.
And the run-fest has continued in the next matches of the ongoing VHT season, which has produced many high-scoring matches so far, with multiple records tumbling across the group stages.
Why the Run-Fest? The “Perfect Storm” for Batters
Several tactical, structural, and environmental factors have converged this season to tilt the scales heavily in favor of the batters.
Gap In Quality Due To 38-Team Format
The expansion of the tournament to include 38 teams has widened the gap between the established “Elite” powerhouses and developing teams (primarily from the Northeast).
The Arunachal Factor: Bihar’s record-breaking 574 came against an Arunachal Pradesh side that struggled to find consistent lines, leading to 87 boundaries in a single innings.
Lopsided Contests: Veterans like R. Ashwin and Mohammad Kaif have noted that the “Plate Group” often lacks the bowling depth to challenge top-tier batters, leading to “no-contest” matches where 400+ scores are becoming frequent.
Batting-Friendly Venues
The choice of venues for the 2025-26 season has played a significant role in high-scoring matches.
Rajkot & Ahmedabad: Matches hosted at the Niranjan Shah Stadium (Rajkot) and the Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad) are historically known for flat, hard tracks.
Lack of Help for Bowlers: With little grass or lateral movement available on these pitches, even 350-run targets have been chased down comfortably, as seen in Karnataka’s successful chase of 412 against Jharkhand.
T20 Cricket Influence & Aggressive Mindsets
The “IPL generation” of cricketers no longer views 50 overs as a long-form game of patience.
Higher Strike Rates: Players like Dhruv Jurel (who smashed a 78-ball century) and Hardik Pandya (who hit a 68-ball century for Baroda) are bringing T20 scoring rates to the 50-over format.
Power-Hitting Depth: Teams are now packed with “finishers” like Abhinav Manohar and Rinku Singh, ensuring that the scoring rate actually increases in the final 15 overs, regardless of the platform set by the openers.
Is it Bad for Indian Cricket?
While the high scores are entertaining for fans, experts like Mohammad Kaif have raised “worrying signs that that these “roads” sideline bowlers and make run-making too easy. If the ball doesn’t seam, swing, or grip, batters can develop “lazy” techniques that get exposed immediately on pacy Australian tracks or turning wickets in the subcontinent.
Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane recently highlighted that Indian domestic pitches have become either too flat or too pace-friendly, leaving batters unprepared for quality spin in Test and ODI cricket. When the ball doesn’t “grip and rip,” batters lose the habit of using their feet or playing with a soft hand.
Also, when 300-plus totals become routine, it becomes harder for selectors to distinguish between a “flat-track bully” and a genuinely skilled player who can perform when the ball is doing something.
Another concern is that if domestic pitches don’t offer enough for bowlers, India may struggle to produce the kind of disciplined bowling attacks needed on more challenging overseas tracks.
When a 350-run target is no longer safe, it suggests a systemic imbalance that prioritizes “producing batters” over developing a balanced contest between bat and ball.
