Vidarbha clinched their third Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala on the fifth day of the final, winning based on a first-innings lead. Vidarbha secured a 37-run advantage in their innings, having initially scored 379 runs and dismissed Kerala for 342. Under captain Akshay Wadkar, Vidarbha showcased exceptional performance throughout the season, finishing with nine wins in ten matches. Notable players included Karun Nair, who scored 135 in the final, and Harsh Dubey, who set a record with 69 wickets in the tournament. This victory highlights Vidarbha’s strength in Indian domestic cricket.
Vidarbha’s exceptional journey in domestic cricket reached its peak on Sunday as they clinched their third Ranji Trophy title, outplaying Kerala based on their first-innings lead during the final day of the contest held at their home ground. The key moments of the match unfolded on the evening of the third day, when Vidarbha secured a narrow first-innings lead of 37 runs, having bowled out a resilient Kerala for 342 after scoring 379 runs in their own innings. Despite being first-time finalists, Kerala fought valiantly, but Vidarbha’s relentless dedication and discipline throughout the season ultimately brought them the championship, alongside a runner-up finish in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy. (India vs New Zealand LIVE Score)
This marks the third occasion Vidarbha has lifted the Ranji Trophy, previously achieving consecutive victories in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
With this victory, Vidarbha solidifies its status as one of the premier teams in Indian domestic cricket, particularly following their runner-up finish in last season’s Ranji Trophy.
The team, captained by Akshay Wadkar and coached by Usman Ghani, showcased formidable performances throughout the Ranji Trophy season, which was divided into two halves for the first time in its 90-year history.
They dominated the league stage, finishing as the top team across all four groups with six wins out of seven matches, amassing a total of 40 points.
While Kerala also enjoyed some fortune in the knockout stages—edging past Jammu and Kashmir (quarterfinal) and Gujarat (semifinal) on first-innings leads—Vidarbha secured outright victories.
Vidarbha overwhelmed Tamil Nadu, last year’s semifinalists, by 198 runs in the quarterfinal and defeated the reigning champions Mumbai by 80 runs in the semifinal.
In total, Vidarbha triumphed in nine out of the 10 matches played in this season’s Ranji Trophy, underscoring the team’s dominance in India’s premier domestic competition.
On Sunday, Vidarbha executed their game plan effectively—batting consistently to finish at 375 for nine, featuring a stellar 135 from Karun Nair (295 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes), alongside 73 from Danish Malewar and an unbeaten 51 from Darshan Nalkande.
Beginning the final day’s play with a substantial 286-run lead, Vidarbha was in complete command.
Despite Nair only adding three runs to his overnight score, Vidarbha batted well into the tea break, extending their overall lead to 412 runs, well beyond the reach of Sachin Baby’s squad.
The championship was marked by collective all-round performances, with two of Vidarbha’s youngest players stepping into prominent roles on the field.
Harsh Dubey, a 22-year-old left-arm spinner, set the record for the most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season, achieving 69 dismissals and surpassing the previous mark of 68 held by Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman.
Dubey also implemented batting techniques suggested by the legendary Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, accumulating 476 runs in 10 matches, including five fifties, indicating his potential as an emerging spin-bowling all-rounder for India.
The 24-year-old Yash Rathod, a bespectacled left-handed batter, topped the batting charts with 960 runs at an average of 53.33 in 10 matches, featuring five centuries and three fifties.
Veteran Nair, who joined Vidarbha this season, not only spearheaded their efforts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with five centuries but also finished as the fourth highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy, totaling 863 runs in nine matches at an average of 53.93, including four centuries and two fifties. In the final, he scored 86 and 135.
The 21-year-old Malewar, who made scores of 153 and 73 in the final, finished fifth overall with 783 runs at an average of 52.20, registering two centuries and six fifties.
Nair and Malewar were pivotal in securing Vidarbha’s victory in the final, forming partnerships of 215 and 183 runs across the two innings to guide their team out of challenging situations.
Captain Wadkar closely followed, ranking seventh with 722 runs in 10 matches at an average of 45.12, including two centuries and two fifties.
After the match, Wadkar commented to the broadcaster, “Everyone worked hard throughout, and we’re all very happy. Last year, we lost the final, so we prepared during the monsoon itself. Every individual worked on himself.”
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