India, Feb. 23 -- Twice this season, Karnataka were on the brink of Ranji Trophy elimination with the opposition setting targets that looked tough to achieve. In the must-win last league game against hosts Punjab, they needed to achieve a 250-run target in limited time to pip Saurashtra in the race for a quarter-finals spot.

Against Mumbai in the quarters, they were set a 325-run fourth innings target on a challenging pitch. Their batters bailed them out on both occasions.

Against Punjab, skipper Devdutt Padikkal led from the front with an unbeaten 120 off 85 balls to help chase down 250 in just 27.5 overs.

KL Rahul's magnificent hundred then helped achieve a brilliant chase of 325 in Mumbai. In the semis, Karnataka buried Uttarakhand ...