Watch | Tripura Wicketkeeper’s Brilliant Catch Ends KL Rahul’s Knock At 35 In Vijay Hazare Trophy

On January 3, 2026, Team India senior batter KL Rahul made his first appearance for the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the reigning champions Karnataka at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

KL Rahul walked in as the number 5 batter after Tripura elected to bowl first, and got off to a strong start with scoring 35 runs off 28 balls with one six and four fours. His knock came to an end after he tried playing a hook shot off a short-pitched delivery by Tripura pacer Ajay Sarkar.

In the 38th over of the Karnataka vs Tripura Vijay Hazare Match, KL Rahul’s knock came to an end after the short-pitched delivery by pacer Ajay Sarkar. His hook shot was spectacularly taken by wicketkeeper Sentu Sarkar.

As soon as the shot was played, Sentu Sarkar from behind the wickets jumped up in the air to grab the ball in a one-handed catch, thus dismissing KL Rahul’s stay on the crease in his first Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Karnataka.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul might make another appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before joining the Team India squad for the upcoming three-day ODI match against New Zealand at home. According to reports, KL Rahul will likely be available for Karnataka for their fixture against Rajasthan on January 6, 2026.

The senior batter was the stand-in captain for India’s three-match ODI series against South Africa in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill and vice captain Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the series due to their respective injuries. India finished the series with a 2-1 win against the Proteas, with KL Rahul registering two consecutive half-centuries against the Proteas.