Vidarbha have captured their third consecutive Ranji Trophy title since establishing an early lead. In the vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team match scorecard, Kerala skipper Sachin Baby came close to scoring a century, which would have altered the course of the match considerably.
They made it this far by defeating Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat in the quarterfinals, and defending champions Mumbai in the semifinals.
| Match Date | Format | Venue | Result | Key Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26 – Mar 2, 2025 | Ranji Trophy Final | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | Match Drawn (Vidarbha won on 1st innings) | Vidarbha: Danish Malewar 153 (285), Karun Nair 86 (188); Kerala: Sachin Baby 98 (235), Aditya Sarwate 79 (185) |
| Mar 2024 | Ranji Trophy | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Nov 2023 | Ranji Trophy | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Mar 2023 | Ranji Trophy | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
| Nov 2022 | Ranji Trophy | Not specified | Not specified | Not specified |
First innings
Karun Nair played a pivotal role in helping Vidarbha create a commanding lead on Day 5 of the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala at Nagpur, hitting 135 off 295 balls with 10x4s and two sixes as Vidarbha amassed 375 for nine on their first innings – Nair’s ninth century domestic season and this put Vidarbha well ahead in their chase of Kerala for victory. But with every passing over time it became apparent that Kerala’s chances were shrinking further
Kerala began the last day on a hopeful note. Nair resumed at 132 and looked set for another hundred before being run out attempting to play off an Aditya Sarwate delivery that scooted low. Harsh Dubey then trapped Eden Apple Tom leg before wicket playing across the line; thus seemingly ending Kerala’s hopes.
Akshay Karnewar, an ambidextrous spinner who had not featured much, made a crucial 30 runs knock for Kerala that ensured they could bat again when Darshan Nalkande hit his half century. From thereon in, this would become an encounter decided more by bat than ball.
Kerala finished as runners-up once more after an outstanding campaign that saw only one defeat during league play and two semi-final wins, led by captain Akshay Wadkar and coach Usman Ghani, during league stage play and two wins each against Vidarbha in semi final play and final play-off play.
Vidarbha also won their third title and are now one of domestic cricket’s strongest outfits; looking ahead to playing Mumbai next season they hope to maintain this stellar start to their Indian Premier League campaign.
Second innings
Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy final and secured it after an outstanding domestic season, where they had won nine out of 10 matches played, led by captains Yash Rathod and Karun Nair, with spinner Harsh Dubey breaking records of wickets in domestic cricket during that year.
Vidarbha quickly established their dominance in the first innings as Danish Malewar and Karun Nair shared another impressive partnership on Day 3. Bowlers then picked up wickets regularly to put Kerala under pressure.
Vidarbha added to their lead in the second innings when Nair made an exceptional 135 (295 balls, 16x4s and 2x6s) while Malewar chipped in with 73 runs; Kerala could never catch up in time with only an innings left to play.
Third innings
Kerala had hopes of taking an early lead after Karun Nair and Danish Malewar put on another partnership of 96, but Baby misfired when trying to play an ambitious shot, losing his wicket and sparking a collapse that eventually saw them dismissed for 379 runs.
On day three, Harsh Dubey and Parth Rekhade struck at Kerala batting. Between them, they collected 69 wickets between them – with Dubey breaking his own record for most dismissals in one Ranji season! These pacemen ensured no big partnerships could form among Kerala batsmen, thus narrowing down the target to just 132 runs to be won.
Kerala found some hope early in the final day as Nair resumed at 132 and added three runs, before Rekhade trapped him lbw for 25. Eden Apple Tom and Jalaj Saxena each scored half-centuries but always needed more runs to catch up with Nair and Co.
Vidarbha finally achieved redemption after their loss last year, thanks to their system of nurturing young talent such as Malewar, Yash Rathod and Dubey alongside veterans such as Nair and Akshay Wadkar. Additionally, this win demonstrated India’s domestic cricket scene at its best: malewar and Saxena showed fans of all that talent is yet waiting to shine on larger stages.
They now boast nine Ranji Trophy titles and are the top-ranked side in India; additionally they won more matches during a season than any other side by an overwhelming margin! They now look forward to defending their title against Tamil Nadu when facing them next season in 2019-20.
Fourth innings
Vidarbha held their nerve and ensured that Kerala would not mount any comeback on the final day of play. Karun Nair scored his ninth century of the season to put Vidarbha in an advantageous position and secure the match for them; alongside Danish Malewar they combined for 215 runs for sixth wicket to effectively end this match and take it from Kerala.
At the conclusion of the fourth session, Kerala were still trailing by 177 runs and appeared doomed to lose their Ranji Trophy title. But thanks to an incredible effort by their lower order batsmen, Kerala managed to surpass their total and extend their lead by an astonishing 187 runs – an extraordinary turnaround from where they began the day! Kerala displayed tremendous resilience throughout this match-up and an emphatic win crowned an impressive Ranji Trophy season for them.
Akshay Wadkar, captain of Vidarbha Cricket Team was then honored to accept their victory trophy from umpires. Gratitude filled his heart as he thanked his team-mates and celebrated such an extraordinary event; also thanking Yash Rathod and Danish Malewar for their contributions as well as crediting their entire team’s commitment as being instrumental to their victory. He added that having stuck to their process enabled them all to achieve such remarkable results.
Players then gathered for a group photo as everyone on the ground applauded them. Once the players received their trophies, they headed towards the pitch to take some soil as a memento of this historic win and to shake hands with their opponents as the match concluded.
Final
Vidarbha successfully overcame last season’s heartbreak to claim their third Ranji Trophy title at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium with an emphatic display over five days, shrugging off Kerala’s resistance. Their hard-fought first innings lead and marathon second innings batting display gave Vidarbha the edge needed to beat Kerala. Captain Akshay Wadkar took full advantage to reclaim his title.
Kerala won the toss and elected to bowl on a pitch that offered early turn and variable bounce, where MD Nidheesh and Eden Apple Tom made quick work of Rekhade (1) and Dhruv Shorey (5) to reduce Vidarbha to 24/3 in 13 overs.
But Danish Malewar and Karun Nair managed to mount an effective 182-run third-wicket partnership; Nair’s unbeaten century proved his mastery of red ball cricket by providing both sound defence and precise shot-making; Nair was truly outstanding as an anchoring figure for Vidarbha innings!
As soon as Nair was out, it fell upon Vidarbha’s lower order to bat out the remaining session and increase their lead by 412 runs. Although Vidarbha lost more wickets during this session, Akshay Karnewar (32) and Darshan Nalkande (50 not out) kept Vidarbha scoring runs to finish at 375/9 in 143.5 overs.
Kerala resumed their second innings with a 37-run first innings lead on Day 4, led by Sachin Baby at the crease. Sachin played an outstanding captain’s innings by scoring 98 off 235 balls before being caught at deep midwicket off Rekhade. Sarwate made another significant contribution with his 79 off 155 balls; otherwise Kerala were dismissed for 342 in 125 overs to give Vidarbha an even smaller 37 run first-innings advantage.
