Vidarbha were crowned Ranji Trophy champions on Sunday after drawing the final against Kerala. Vidarbha earned themselves a third title by virtue of their first innings lead. They had previously won the title in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Vidarbha’s win now makes them one of the strongest outfits in the Indian domestic cricket, for they had also finished runners-up in the Ranji Trophy last season.
The contest’s outcome was virtually determined on the third evening when Vidarbha took a narrow lead of 37 runs in the first innings, having dismissed a resilient Kerala for 342 after scoring 379 runs while batting first.
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As first-time finalists, Kerala put up a strong fight, but Vidarbha’s hard work and discipline throughout the season paid off. They not only secured the Ranji Trophy but also finished as runners-up in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Under the leadership of captain Akshay Wadkar and head coach Usman Ghani, Vidarbha delivered dominant performances throughout the Ranji Trophy season, which was uniquely split into two halves for the first time in its 90-year history.
Vidarbha emerged as the top team across all four groups in the league stage, winning six out of seven matches and accumulating 40 points.
In contrast to Kerala, who benefited from some luck in the knockout stages—narrowly defeating Jammu and Kashmir in the quarter-finals and Gujarat in the semi-finals based on first-innings leads—Vidarbha achieved outright victories. They dominated Tamil Nadu, last year’s semi-finalists, by 198 runs in the quarter-finals and defeated defending champions Mumbai by 80 runs in the semi-finals.
Overall, Vidarbha won nine out of ten matches in the Ranji Trophy this season, underscoring their dominance in India’s premier domestic competition.
On Sunday, Vidarbha executed their game plan to perfection, reaching 375 for nine with Karun Nair scoring 135 (295 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes), Danish Malewar contributing 73, and Darshan Nalkande adding an unbeaten 51.
Starting the final day’s play with a commanding overnight lead of 286 runs, Vidarbha maintained control of the match. Although Nair could only add three runs to his overnight score, Vidarbha batted effectively until just before tea, extending their overall lead to 412 runs, well beyond the reach of Sachin Baby’s team.
The victory was a result of collective all-round performances, particularly from two of Vidarbha’s youngest players. Harsh Dubey, a 22-year-old left-arm spinner, set a new record for the most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season with 69 dismissals, surpassing the previous record of 68 held by Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman. Dubey also applied batting tips from legendary Indian player Ravichandran Ashwin, scoring 476 runs in 10 matches with five fifties, hinting at his potential as a future spin-bowling all-rounder for India.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Yash Rathod, a left-handed batter, led the scoring charts with 960 runs at an average of 53.33 in 10 matches, including five centuries and three fifties.
Veteran Karun Nair, who joined Vidarbha this season, not only excelled in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with five centuries but also finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy, amassing 863 runs in nine matches at an average of 53.93, with four tons and two fifties. In the final, Nair scored 86 and 135.
Danish Malewar, just 21 years old, also shone in the final with scores of 153 and 73, finishing the season with 783 runs at 52.20, including two centuries and six fifties.
Nair and Malewar were pivotal in Vidarbha’s final victory, forming partnerships of 215 and 183 runs in the two innings, helping their team navigate challenging situations.
Captain Wadkar was not far behind, ranking seventh with 722 runs in 10 matches at 45.12, including two centuries and two fifties.
After the match, Wadkar expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Everyone worked hard throughout, and we’re all very happy. Last year, we lost the final, so we prepared during the monsoon. Every individual focused on their own development.”
