Vidarbha has clinched the Ranji Trophy for the third time after their final match against Kerala ended in a draw. Having secured a crucial first-innings lead, Vidarbha effectively sealed the victory on the fourth day, leaving Kerala with an insurmountable task.
Entering the final day, Vidarbha held a significant 286-run lead with six wickets in hand. They extended their lead beyond 400 runs, adding 126 more runs before both teams agreed to a draw.
Early in the day’s play, Karun Nair was stumped after missing a shot, departing for 135. Kerala needed a dramatic collapse of Vidarbha’s batting lineup to have any chance. However, Akshay Wadkar and Harsh Dubey resisted Kerala’s bowlers. Dubey was eventually dismissed after the drinks break, and Wadkar followed after scoring 25 runs off 108 balls.
Darshan Nalkande and Akshay Karnewar then batted through 20 overs, diminishing Kerala’s hopes of forcing a win. Despite Kerala taking a couple of wickets after lunch, Nalkande accelerated the scoring, pushing Vidarbha’s lead past 400. Once Nalkande reached his fifty, the teams decided to conclude the match.
Danish Malewar, who scored a century in the first innings, was named player of the match, while Harsh Dubey was declared player of the tournament.
Brief scores: Vidarbha 379 (Danish Malewar 153; MD Nidheesh 3/61) & 375/9 (Karun Nair 135, Danish Malewar 73; Aditya Sarwate 4/96) drew with Kerala 342 (Sachin Baby 98, Aditya Sarwate 79; Darshan Nalkande 3/52)
