Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy 2025: Vidarbha extends lead over Kerela to 351 runs in final
Vidarbha extended their overall lead to 351 runs by lunch on the final day, inching closer to their third Ranji Trophy title against Kerala here on Sunday. They had previously won the title in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Riding on Karun Nair's 135, Vidarbha reached 314 for 7 in their second innings, batting out the morning session of the final day without setting a target. Akshay Karnewar (24) and Darshan Nalkande (8) were at the crease at the break. Having taken a 37-run first-innings lead after dismissing first-time finalists Kerala for 342, Vidarbha are poised to win on the basis of the first-innings advantage. Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate (3/75 from 39 overs) struck twice in the session, removing overnight centurion Nair (135) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (25 off 108 balls, 2x4s). Nair could only add three runs before being stumped. His 295-ball knock featured 10 fours and two sixes, marking his ninth century across formats in this domestic season. Sarwate then dismissed Wadkar to
Ranji Trophy Final: Malewar's ton powers Vidarbha to 254/ 4 on day 1
A horrible mix-up between Karun Nair (86) and Danish Malewar (138 not out) denied the former a deserving century but their much needed resistance took Vidarbha to a formidable 254/4 at stumps on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala here on Wednesday. Nair and Malewar led a strong fightback for the hosts at the VCA Stadium after Kerala seamers struck early thrice to leave Vidarbha struggling at 24 for three. The pair put on a resolute 215-run stand for the fourth wicket consuming as many as 414 deliveries across the three sessions, mixing caution with aggression to give Vidarbha a strong footing in the summit clash. But it ended abruptly against the flow of the game, when both Nair and Malewar went for a non-existent run which ended up in the dismissal of the former, 14 runs short of a deserving century. Having toiled for a breakthrough for nearly 68 overs, Kerala opted for a late second new ball in the 82nd over. Eden Apple Tom's innocuous delivery outside the
Ranji Trophy 2025: Vidarbha vs Kerala grand finale on February 26
The venue for the Ranji Trophy grand finale will be disclosed.
Mumbai favourites against Vidarbha in Ranji semis despite Jaiswal's absence
It's unlikely that Mumbai will have an injured Yashasvi Jaiswal in their ranks, but the resilient defending champions are firm favourites against Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy semifinal, beginning here on Monday. PTI understands that Jaiswal might travel to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for further assessment of his unspecified injury soon, as he has been named as a "non-travelling reserve" in India's Champions Trophy squad. But the possible absence of Jaiswal in no way reduces the firepower of Mumbai in a match that is the repeat of last year's final. Mumbai have a host of stars in their line-up such as skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur who can alter the course of the game on their own. But more than the presence of some acclaimed and accomplished players, their determination makes the 42-time champions a team cut from different cloth. On several occasions this season, Mumbai's top-order malfunctioned but their lower-order batter
Kerala enter Ranji Trophy semis on the back of 1-run first innings lead
Kerala produced a doughty batting effort to hang on to a draw against Jammu and Kashmir, and progressed to the Ranji Trophy semifinals on the back of a slender 1-run first innings lead here on Wednesday. Player of the match Salman Nizar (44 not out, 162 balls, 8x4) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (67 not out, 118b, 9x4 2x6) saw off nearly 43 overs during their unbroken 115-run alliance for the seventh wicket as Kerala made 295 for six in their second innings. Their partnership was enough for Kerala, overnight 100 for two, to see off the final day's proceedings, and set up a semi-final meeting with former champions Gujarat from February 17. This will only be Kerala's second appearance in the Ranji Trophy last four round after the 2018-19 season. They had lost to eventual champions Vidarbha by an innings and 11 runs at Wayanad last time. "We believed in ourselves and took it (partnership) through the blocks of 10 runs each. J&K bowlers were also made our task tough. It was a similar ...
Test cricket still ultimate for me, hunger to make comeback alive: Rahane
Out-of-favour India batter Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday reaffirmed his love for Test cricket and said his hunger to make a comeback to the national team remains intact. The 36-year-old last played a Test for India in July 2023, during the West Indies tour, but his form in domestic cricket has been exceptional across formats this season. "I am batting well now. Mushtaq Ali went very well. I have scored runs in earlier matches. I am happy with my batting," Rahane said following Mumbai's entry into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy with victory over Haryana here. Leading Mumbai from the front, Rahane scored a brilliant second-innings century to script a stunning comeback, sealing a 152-run win. Rahane, who was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL auction, has been in red-hot form in his last 10 innings, registering three 90-plus scores, one 80-plus knock, and now a century in the quarterfinal. "Domestic cricket has given me everything and because of that I still have that passion
Rahane century, Dias five-wicket burst put Mumbai in Ranji Trophy semis
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane conjured a typically gritty hundred and pacer Royston Dias supported his effort with a five-wicket haul as defending champions Mumbai completed a fine escape act, scripting a commanding 152-run over Haryana to enter the Ranji Trophy semifinals here on Tuesday. Rahane, resuming on 88, wasted no time in the morning to notch 108 (180 balls; 13x4) -- his 41st first-class century, that guided Mumbai to 339 in the second innings for an overall lead of 353 runs. Chasing 354, Haryana crumbled against left-arm pacer Dias' maiden five=wicket haul (5/39) and Shardul Thakur (3/26), as the veteran quick completed a creditable nine-wicket haul for the match. They were bowled out for 201 as the joyous Mumbai dressing room might have forgotten that worrisome period when they were 65/5 in the first innings. The 42-time champions will face Vidarbha in the last-four clash on February 17 in a re-match of last season's final. "Anything over 300, we knew it would be difficult to
Shardul Thakur eyeing India comeback with series of domestic heroics
The out-of-favour Mumbai-based all-rounder has been in superb form in domestic cricket and is proving to be a match-winner with both bat and ball
Ranji Trophy: Nidheesh scalps 5 wkts to reduce Jammu and Kashmir to 228/8
Medium pacer MD Nidheesh scalped five wickets to help Kerala limit Jammu and Kashmir to 228 for eight on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match here on Saturday. Nidheesh (5/56) spelt trouble for Jammu and Kashmir batters from the start, picking up wickets at regular intervals after Kerala opted to field. He accounted for the wickets of openers Shubham Khajuria, Yawer Hassan, Vivrant Sharma, wicket-keeper Kanhaiya Wadhwan and Lone Nasir Muzaffar. He was ably supported by Basil Thampi (1/31), left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate (1/32) and Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/59), who accounted for one wicket each. For Jammu and Kashmir, Wadhawan top-scored with 48 off 80 balls, while Muzaffar made 44. Sahil Lotra (35) and Hassan (24) also got the starts but failed to convert them into big scores, spelling trouble for their side. At stumps, Yudhvir Singh (17 not out) and Auqib Nabi (5 no out) were at the crease as Jammu and Kashmir piled up the runs in 86 overs. Sent in to bat, Jamm
Ranji Trophy: Ton-up Nair, Malewar guide Vidarbha to 264/6 vs Tamil Nadu
Karun Nair continued his dream run with the bat, scoring an unbeaten century to help Vidarbha reach 264 for six on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Tamil Nadu here on Saturday. The 33-year-old Nair, who has been in stellar form, brought up his 22nd first-class century. This knock follows his century against Hyderabad in the previous round, and it adds to his four consecutive hundreds in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. Nair's knock of 100 not out came off 180 balls and included 14 boundaries and one six, once again proving his class and consistency. Opting to bat first, Vidarbha had a shaky start, losing three quick wickets to find themselves at 44 for 3. However, Nair found an able partner in Danish Malewar, who played a pivotal role in rescuing the innings. The two batters forged a crucial 98-run partnership for the fourth wicket, bringing the score to 142 and stabilising the innings after the early collapse. Malewar was dismissed for 75 after he was ca
Ranji Trophy: Kotian-Mulani stand puts Mumbai back in fighting position
Mumbai's eternal crisis men Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian once again stood tall amid ruins with a 165-run stand for the eighth wicket as the defending champion staged an impressive fightback to reach 278 for 8 against Haryana in the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final. Having opted to bat, Mumbai batting unit comprising former Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (31), T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav (9), batting all-rounder Shivam Dube (28) were down in the dumps at 113 for 7, largely due to some incisive bowling by the military medium trundlers from Haryana led by workhorse Anshul Kamboj (3/58 in 18 overs). But once the moisture dried up, Eden strip became a batting paradise as usual with Mulani (91, 178 balls) and last year's 'Player of the Tournament' Kotian (85 batting, 154 balls) making full use of the loose deliveries. While Mumbai might not end up positing a huge total but Mulani and Kotian have done enough to ensure that they have something to bowl at when Haryana co
Ranji Trophy: Gujarat dominate proceedings on Day 1 against Saurashtra
Skipper Chintan Gaja bowled a probing line to grab four wickets as Gujarat restricted Saurashtra to a lowly 216 to gain upper-hand on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final, here Saturday. At stumps, Gujarat were 21 for no loss with both openers -- veteran Priyank Panchal (11 batting) and young turk Arya Desai (10 batting) -- safely negotiating the five over towards the fag end of the day. Gaja, who bowls at a friendly pace between 118 to 122 kmph, consistently pitched it up to claim 4 for 48 in 21 overs as all Saurashtra batters, save opener Chirag Jani (69 off 148 balls), struggled against the visiting team, whose decision to bowl first was vindicated. Cheteshwar Pujara (26 off 38 balls) hit a few crispy and a couple of streaky boundaries during a 50-run stand with Jani but had to head back to pavilion while trying to over-attack. It was left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai (2/35 in 7 overs), who induced the out of favour Test stalwart to come down the track with a flighte
Ranji Trophy quarter-final full schedule, match timings and live streaming
Vidarbha was the first team to confirm their place in the knockout stage, and Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Jammu & Kashmir have booked the rest of the spots in the QFs
Ranji Trophy QFs: Mumbai vs Haryana match venue shifted to Eden Gardens
The shift comes as part of the decision for all the quarterfinals to be extended into five-day contests, running from February 8 to February 12.
Ranji Trophy 2025 QFs: Surya, Shivam named in Mumbai squad vs Haryana
Mumbai secured their quarterfinal spot with an emphatic statement-a crushing win by an innings and 456 runs against Meghalaya
Ranji Trophy: Jammu and Kashmir refuse to bat vs Baroda, here's why
Jammu and Kashmir did not take the field at the start of the third day of their ongoing Elite Group A Ranji Trophy clash against Baroda alleging that the pitch was tampered with overnight to favour the home team at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara, a report said on Saturday. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, J&K alleged that the pitch was tampered to help the home team Baroda force an outright win to ensure qualification for the quarterfinal stage and play was held up for one hour and 25 minutes in the first session on Saturday. J&K, Baroda and Mumbai are involved in a three-pronged battled for knockouts qualification from Group A with only two teams from each group set to progress. On Saturday, Mumbai crushed Meghalaya by an innings and 456 runs for their biggest ever victory by innings' margin to win with a bonus point. The contest in Vadodara began only at 10:55am on Saturday after the intervention of the match referee Arjan Kripal Singh. When PTI contacted an official
Delhi v Railways: A match where Virat Kohli's Ranji return lasted only 16 balls
The match attracted national attention largely due to Virat Kohli's return to domestic cricket after a 13-year hiatus. He didn't bat in 2nd innings as Delhi won by an innings and 19 runs
WATCH: Security lapse at Kotla; Fans enter ground, shake hands with Kohli
The security, slow to react at first, quickly regained control and escorted the fans off the field.
Akash Anand makes his mark with maiden First-Class ton for Mumbai
He missed the entire white-ball season for Mumbai, but a timely recovery from a wrist fracture coincided with wicketkeeper-batter Akash Anand's return in the second round of the Ranji Trophy, where he marked his comeback with a maiden First-Class century on Friday. Anand's 103 off 151 balls, which included 15 fours, was the third century for Mumbai and the sixth score over fifty as the hosts piled up 671/7 declared against Meghalaya, setting a strong platform for a quarterfinal berth. Anand made his debut in the fifth and final match of the first round in Ranji Trophy against Services in Delhi last November but a fracture to his wrist while playing a game in a local competition, Purshottam Shield here, ruled him out of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Coming from an injury, I did not get a game in local tournament to assess my match fitness, but with the backing of Mumbai coach and captain, I did some match simulation and went on to play this game, Anand told
Who is Himanshu Sangwan? Railways' pacer who castled Kohli in Ranji match
In a high-stake clash, he struck again-his moment of reckoning arriving as he sent the legendary Virat Kohli back to the pavilion
