Vidarbha bowlers dominated the final morning, taking four quick wickets to secure a convincing 62-run victory over Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy semi-final played in Nagpur. This win sets up a dream final against Mumbai, starting on March 10th in Mumbai.
Resuming day five needing 94 runs with seven wickets remaining, Madhya Pradesh’s hopes rested on the in-form Yash Dubey (94). However, Vidarbha bowlers had other plans. Aditya Thakare struck twice in his opening spell, dismissing Kumar Kartikeya and Anubhav Agarwal. The pressure mounted further as Yash Thakur sent back Saransh Jain, leaving Madhya Pradesh with a mountain to climb.
While Thakare provided the final blows, the groundwork for victory was laid by the entire bowling unit. In the first innings, Avesh Khan (4-49) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-28) restricted Madhya Pradesh to 252. In the second innings, Akshay Wakhare (3-42) and Yash Thakur (3-60) rattled the middle order, leaving Aditya Sarwate (2-51) to clean up the openers on day four.
This win marks Vidarbha’s third appearance in the Ranji Trophy final. They will be aiming for their third title, having emerged victorious in both their previous appearances: 2017-18 and 2018-19.
The final, starting on March 10th in Mumbai, promises to be a thrilling encounter between two strong teams. Vidarbha will face a formidable opponent in Mumbai, who dominated their semi-final against Tamil Nadu.