In a first, Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts to be played under lights

The semi-finals and final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy's one-dayers will be held under lights at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. This marks the first time in the tournament's history that matches will be played under lights.

Four teams - Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan - have successfully secured their spots in the semifinals. The quarterfinals witnessed good matches, with Haryana triumphing over Bengal by four wickets, and Rajasthan dominating Kerala with a massive 200-run victory. Meanwhile, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu secured their semifinal berths by defeating Vidarbha and Mumbai, both with seven-wicket victories.

"It's a good initiative. We had suggested to the BCCI to use the floodlights for domestic cricket , and we're happy that Jay bhai (Jay Shah) accepted our suggestion," SCA President Jaydev Shah expressed his satisfaction with the decision, speaking with TOI on Monday.

The first semi-final will be played betweem Haryana and Tamil Nadu on December 13, followed by Karnataka facing off Rajasthan in the second on December 14. The final will take place on December 16. With all league games having been day matches, the viewers can anticipate thrilling day-night encounters as the Vijay Hazare Trophy introduces a new chapter in its history.

Tamil Nadu has been the most successful team in the History of Vijay Hazare Trophy

The Vijay Hazare Trophy, previously known as the Ranji One-Day Trophy, is an annual limited overs cricket domestic competition organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The tournament comprises state and union territory teams that participate in the Ranji Trophy.

The competition was first introduced in the 1993-94 and was initially played at the zonal level until it was expanded to national level in 2002-03. In 2007, the tournament was renamed in honor of Vijay Hazare, who passed away in December 2004. Tamil Nadu has been the most successful team since the expansion, having won the trophy five times.