Vidarbha Crowned Ranji Trophy Champions Despite Draw Against Kerala In Final

Right then, the only thing left now is for Akshay Wadkar to go on and lift that coveted trophy, after which the players of Vidarbha join him on the podium and celebrate as they should and pose for a team photograph. That also marks the end of a fascinating Ranii Trophy season and it is Vidarbha who turn their runners-up showing from the last season to a title-winning one. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Until next time then, take care and goodbye!

Akshay Wadkar, the title-winning and retiring skipper of Vidarbha, starts by saying that today is the day of the hard work they put in throughout the season and it is a happy occasion. Adds that they lost the final last year and their preparations began in the monsoon and each individual worked on themselves and tried to improve their skills and fitness, which ended up with them leading the charts in wickets and runs as well. Mentions that the likes of Yash Rathod and Danish Malewar are a couple of batters who can take the game away from the opposition and goes on to applaud their achievements. Adds that as a player and as a captain if you're playing Ranji Trohy then it is always a dream to win this tournament for this side and thankfully, he was able to achieve that.

Next up, Sachin Baby walks up to the podium and collects the runners-up trophy on behalf of the Kerala team. After this, the players of the winning Vidarbha team come up one by one to collect their winners' medals.

Harsh Dubey is the PLAYER OF THE SEASON for his record-breaking 69 wickets and valuable contributions with the bat as well. He says it is a dream come true moment, they lost the tournament this time around, so they were focused on winning and, importantly to win for their captain, Akshay Wadkar, who is going to retire after this season. He says he worked hard in the offseason. Mentions he takes one game at a time, bowls to his strength and is patient while taking wickets. Shares he loves to bat and wants to be a batting all-rounder rather than a bowling all-rounder. Admits the end goal is to represent India, but he doesn't want to complicate things. He will take some rest and get back to preparations before the next season starts.

Danish Malewar is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH IN THE FINAL! He starts by saying that it was a very good first season for him and he gained a lot of experience and was able to contribute to the team and made an impact in the final. Adds that he was prepared to score big as he was making fifties regularly and luckily, he managed to convert in this game. Adds that Karun Nair has a lot of experience and both of them try to keep things simple and Nair also helps him out in the middle. Mentions that there is quite a bit of difference in the Under-19s and in Ranji Trophy as there are much more experienced bowlers in Ranji Trophy.

Sachin Baby, the skipper of Kerala, says it's a big final for him and his team, they are proud to reach the prestigious final, and admits whoever makes fewer mistakes wins it. Tells it was a fantastic season, they played really good cricket and is proud to lead this team. Mentions that he, as a leader, will take the blame as he feels his shot on 98 changed the course of the game. Admits he wanted to be there for the team to get the lead, he was just playing his game but bad luck came for them. Feels the management has put in a lot of effort. Ends by saying they will definitely beat Vidarbha next time around.

The Presentation ceremony...

Yash Rathod, the top scorer of the Ranji Trophy season 2024-25 with 960 runs, is down for a chat. He says he prepared well for this season and had a plan to complete 1000 runs but he missed out by 40 runs but is very grateful. Mentions there should be purpose and a lot of practise to have such a season. Adds technique is very important and says he keeps working on it. Admits he wants to dominate in all three formats next season.

Usman Ghani, coach of Vidarbha, says it is an exciting moment. Adds it's all about hard work, they followed the process, last year they missed by a whisker. Mentions that the supporting staff have done an incredible job throughout the tournament. He tells he is proud of Harsh Dubey for being the highest wicket taker and Yash Rathod for being the leading run scorer.

Let's now hear from a few of the members of the winning side...

Heading into the 5th and final Day of play, Kerala had already come undone at a couple of big moments - Sachin Baby giving his wicket away and then Karun Nair being dropped for 31 in the second innings and it really was a simple catch. Vidarbha were in cruise control and Kerala had to press the issue and they got a couple of wickets early in the first session. But it was just a tale of persistence from the lower order of Vidarbha that didn't give anything away and in the end, Darshan Nalkande who came in to bat at number 9, saw the game through and finished with a sensational fifty as Vidarbha sealed the trophy.

Vidarbha's second innings started on Day 4 and just like in the last two innings of the game, a couple of early wickets fell. Vidarbha were 7 for 2 and needed someone to step up. Guess who but the pair of Karun Nair and Danish Malewar again who steadied the ship and put on another mammoth stand of about 180 runs. This time, it was Nair who brought up a ton, his 9th of the season counting the List-A and T20 formats. Vidarbha continued to pile on the runs right through Day 4 as Kerala managed to pick up only 4 wickets.

Kerala's first innings was similar as well and they lost a couple of wickets with 14 runs on the board. It was then Aditya Sarwate, the former Vidarbha player who led the fightback and added a couple of crucial stands. Sachin Baby, the skipper, also stepped up and at one point, it seemed like Kerala might irk out a first-innings lead but with 5 wickets left, Baby went for a big shot and threw his wicket away for 98 and then that triggered a collapse. Harsh Dubey and Parth Rekhade made sure to rip through the lower order and Vidarbha got the vital first innings lead of 37 runs.

Talking a bit more about the game then, Kerala probably missed a mark right away as Sachin Baby opted to bowl first, risking chasing in the fourth innings. However, they did well to pick up early wickets and had Vidarbha reeling at 24/3 before that crucial stand came into play. Karun Nair and Danish Malewar added 215 big runs, with the latter going on to score a fine century and helped Vidarbha put on 379 runs. Not much early on for the spinners and it was the pace duo of MD Nidheesh and Eden Apple Tom that took 3 wickets each for Kerala.

This team is one of the finest teams we have seen in recent years and a deserved Ranji Trophy Championship and for the first time after a decade, a team has won the trophy whilst having the leading wicket-taker and the leading run-scorer on their side. Celebrations and jubilations all around the ground and the players chant 'Vidarbha, Vidarbha' soaking in the applause from the crowd as the coach of Kerala after shaking hands, goes towards the pitch and takes a bit of soil as a memento for their first-ever Final. The Vidarbha players then go on a victory lap, thanking all the fans who supported them throughout.

VIDARBHA ARE RANJI TROPHY CHAMPIONS FOR THE 3RD TIME IN THEIR HISTORY! What a turnaround it has been for this side after that heartbreaking loss against Mumbai in the finals last season, Vidarbha have stepped up and have sealed the trophy that too at their home ground. Spare a thought for Kerala though, who reached their first-ever Ranji Trophy Final and they did so by beating a few big sides but it just wasn't meant to be.

FIFTY FOR Nalkande! Flatter and on middle, Nalkande flicks it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs. Oh, hang on! Sachin Baby hugs Darshan Nalkande and we see Vidarbha players steaming out. Hand-shakes all around and that's it, the match is drawn! VIDARBHA ARE THE CHAMPIONS! They win the Final due to the first-innings lead.

Excellent fielding in the deep! Flighted again on middle, Nalkande comes down the track, doesn't quite keep his shape and just heaves it away wide of long on. Rohan Kunnummal there dives to his right and keeps it down to two. Nalkande moves to 49 now.

Flighted up, full and around middle, kept out by Nalkande.

Well negotiated! Flatter on middle, darting in and stays low as well, Thakur rocks back and manages to dab it away towards mid-wicket for a single.