Table of Contents
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 (Elite Group A Final Standings)
Karnataka dominated the pool stage to earn the group’s top seed, while Kerala qualified directly behind them with a strong 4-win performance.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
| 1 | Karnataka (KAR) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 24 | +0.544 |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh | 7 | 5 | 2 | 20 | +0.834 |
| 3 | Kerala (KER) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 16 | +0.554 |
| 4 | Jharkhand | 7 | 4 | 3 | 16 | -0.042 |
| 5 | Tamil Nadu | 7 | 3 | 4 | 12 | +0.509 |
| 6 | Tripura | 7 | 3 | 4 | 12 | +0.125 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -0.717 |
| 8 | Pondicherry | 7 | 1 | 6 | 4 | -1.849 |
Format Head-to-Head Dominance (2025–26 Season)
The two South Indian rivals faced off across multiple formats during the domestic calendar, with Karnataka maintaining a clean sheet across both white-ball and red-ball matches:
| Tournament Format | Match Venue | 1st Innings Core Card | 2nd Innings Core Card | Final Match Outcome |
| Ranji Trophy (Elite Group B) | St Xavier’s College Ground, Thumba | KER: 184/10KAR: 534/4d | KER: 186/10 (f/o)KAR: N/A | Karnataka won by an innings & 164 runs |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy (Group A) | Sardar Patel Stadium B, Ahmedabad | KER: 284/7 (50)KAR: 285/2 (48.2) | N/A | Karnataka won by 8 wickets |
Women’s Senior One Day Trophy 2026 Standings
In the women’s category, both states enjoyed prolific group-stage campaigns in their respective elite subdivisions to book knockout spots:
| State Team Association | Elite Group Placement | Games Played | Won | Lost | Total Points | Net Run Rate (NRR) |
| Karnataka Women (Elite A) | 2nd Place | 7 | 5 | 2 | 20 | +1.383 |
| Kerala Women (Elite C) | 3rd Place | 7 | 5 | 2 | 20 | +0.632 |
Ranji Trophy Individual Statistical Leaders
This table compares the absolute top performers in both batting and bowling departments for Kerala and Karnataka during the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy Elite Season.
| Performance Department | Kerala Cricket Team (KER) | Karnataka Cricket Team (KAR) | Stat / Impact Analysis |
| Top Run Scorer | Baba Aparajith582 Runs (Avg: 48.50) | Smaran Ravichandran950 Runs (Avg: 86.36) | Ravichandran finished as the absolute highest run-getter in the entire national tournament. |
| Highest Individual Score | Sachin Baby148 vs Bengal | Devdutt Padikkal191 vs Kerala | Padikkal’s masterclass innings at Thumba completely took the game away from Kerala’s spin attack. |
| Most Wickets Taken | Adithya Sarwate29 Wickets (Avg: 22.40) | Shreyas Gopal48 Wickets (Avg: 23.14) | Gopal’s dominant leg-spin led Karnataka’s bowling unit deep into the knockouts. |
| Best Bowling Figures | Basil Thampi5/43 vs Madhya Pradesh | Vidwath Kaverappa6/38 vs Kerala | Kaverappa tore through Kerala’s top order on a green surface to trigger a massive batting collapse. |
Probable Starting XIs (Next Domestic Encounter)
The following team selection showcases the strongest available lineups for both states across multi-day formats, balancing youth and experienced international caps.
| Batting Order | Kerala Probable XI (KER) | Karnataka Probable XI (KAR) | Tactial Role / Position |
| 1 | Rohan Kunnummal | Mayank Agarwal (c) | Opening Anchor Batter |
| 2 | Krishna Prasad | Nikin Jose | Technical Top-Order Batter |
| 3 | Baba Aparajith | Devdutt Padikkal | Specialist No. 3 Batter |
| 4 | Sachin Baby (c) | Smaran Ravichandran | Middle-Order Sheet Anchor |
| 5 | Sanju Samson | Manish Pandey | Dynamic Power-Hitter / Finisher |
| 6 | Vishnu Vinod (wk) | Sujay Sateri (wk) | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 7 | Jalaj Saxena | Shreyas Gopal | Primary All-rounder (Spin) |
| 8 | Adithya Sarwate | Krishnappa Gowtham | Bowling All-rounder |
| 9 | Shreyas Gopal / Akshay Chandran | Vasuki Koushik | Line-and-Length Medium Pacer |
| 10 | Basil Thampi | Vidwath Kaverappa | Primary Strike Fast Bowler |
| 11 | MD Nidheesh | Prasidh Krishna | Hit-the-Deck Express Bowler |
Coaching Staff & Support Setup Comparison
This table details the elite brains trust, tactical masterminds, and fitness support units responsible for developing both major state teams.
| Support Department | Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) | Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) | Tactical Strategic Impact |
| Head Coach | Amol Muzumdar | PV Shashikanth | Muzumdar infuses elite Mumbai-style grit; Shashikanth brings deep local system knowledge. |
| Assistant Coach | M. Venkataramana | K. Yere Goud | Focuses heavily on local talent integration and skill-specific transition programs. |
| Bowling Coach | Tinu Yohannan | Mansur Ali Khan | Yohannan prioritizes express pace development; Khan refines flawless line and length. |
| Fielding Coach | Biju George | Deepak Chougule | George implements modern athletic structures; Chougule focuses on close-in catching drills. |
| Strength & Conditioning | Radhakrishnan | Mansur Amin | Manages workloads and maintains peak player fitness across rigorous multi-format calendars. |
| Lead Physiotherapist | Dr. Shravan Kumar | Dr. Jaba Prabhu | Implements fast-track injury rehabilitation and long-season player recovery blueprints. |
Historical & Inter-State Player Transfers
This table tracks the most significant player migrations between Kerala and Karnataka, featuring players who shifted allegiances for better opportunities or post-retirement roles.
| Featured Player | Original Home Team | New State Team | Transfer Type / Reason | Core Career Impact & Milestone |
| Robin Uthappa | Karnataka | Kerala | Guest Player (Professional) | Captained Kerala and provided invaluable championship-winning experience to their top-order batting. |
| Karun Nair | Karnataka | Kerala | Guest Player (Professional) | Moved to Kerala to rejuvenate his red-ball career, instantly becoming their reliable middle-order pillar. |
| Shreyas Gopal | Karnataka | Kerala | Professional Move | Switched sides to lead Kerala’s spin department, offering elite leg-spin and crucial lower-order runs. |
| Sujith N.G. | Kerala | Karnataka | Domestic Draft | Moved systems early in his career to test his skills in the highly competitive Bangalore league structure. |
| CM Gautam | Karnataka | Goa / Inter-State | Guest Player (Professional) | Former legendary Karnataka keeper who moved out of the home state later in his career, crossing paths with both setups. |
