Vidarbha won their third title in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy final-Ranji Trophy by smashing through their oppressors and thus rising from their last year’s fall. In front of a jubilant home crowd of 3,000 people at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, they whipped Kerala, thanks to a mix of individual brilliance and collective effort, achieving a victory for the ages.
A Rocky Start but Strong Finish in Ranji Trophy
The turning point of the match arrived on day four, when Vidarbha overcame a gritty first-innings struggle to place themselves in a dominant position. The Kerala side, despite their courageous resistance, was unable to take advantage of opportunities that might have turned the match around.
At the beginning of Vidarbha’s second innings, they experienced a few stumbles, but significant inputs from Karun Nair and Danish Malewar set the stage for a strong total.
The turning point in the game came when Malewar, having come through an early fright, settled the ship with a calm knock. The gut-wrenching “what-ifs” for Kerala hung large throughout the game. A failure of opportunity when Sachin Baby, on 98, couldn’t middle a slog sweep, along with a dropped catch by Akshay Chandran off Nair, provided Vidarbha with the much-needed lifeline. These instances of misfortune, combined with a questionable DRS decision, checked Kerala’s momentum.
Kerala’s Hope Vanishes Early on Day Five Ranji Trophy
Day five started with hope rekindling in Kerala. They achieved two early wickets with Nair getting out after a small contribution to his overnight score of 132 and Harsh Dubey getting out for a duck. Hope spread in the camp of Kerala as it looked like the match could change direction once again. The pitch at the VCA Stadium was offering turn and bounce, which made Kerala’s task of chasing a daunting target even more difficult.
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But just when Kerala was about to mount a comeback, their dreams were shattered as homeboy Aditya Sarwate struck once more. Sarwate’s magic on the last day, with the wicket of Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar, brought Kerala back into the game briefly, as Sarwate picked up his third wicket. The turning track and the pressure of running down a strong target only brought more misery for the Kerala team.
Vidarbha’s Key Contributions Result in Glory
But the spirit of Vidarbha remained undeterred. While Kerala worked hard to establish their stand, Vidarbha’s lower-order batting, overseen by Akshay Karnewar and Darshan Nalkande, showed quite some guts.
Karnewar hardly made the headlines in this game, but he stood in all the important periods and kept at bay some of the problems. His cameo of 30 runs was particularly important in eating up valuable time and annoying the Kerala bowling and Kerala in their bid for a breakthrough.
As the match came to an end, Darshan Nalkande came up with a crucial half-century, reducing the hopes of Kerala considerably. The last nail in the coffin was at 2:20 PM, tea was looming as both sides decided there was not much to gain. Vidarbha, through a combined effort, was finally crowned champions and, as always, this season was concluded in their spirit- deliberate, strong, and unwavering.
Collective Effort Seals the Victory
This win was not merely a product of individual showmanship. Though Karun Nair’s monumental knock of 132 in the first innings and Danish Malewar’s half-century were stand-out performances, all of Vidarbha contributed to the triumph.
Nair’s fourth century for the season that brought him overall to nine centuries across all forms was pivotal in laying a platform for victory. Malewar’s half-century, despite the early mix-up with Nair that led to his run-out in the first innings, displayed the young batsman’s maturity under pressure.
The victory also underlined the importance of collective contributions from all directions. The top run-scorer of Vidarbha in the season, Yash Rathod, was instrumental in piling on vital runs, while Harsh Dubey’s record-breaking effort of taking the most wickets in a single Ranji season provided the team with a great advantage.
Parth Rekhade’s game-altering triple-wicket spell in the semi-final against Mumbai was another testimony to Vidarbha’s overall strength. Experienced Wadkar, who had been in the team that had come up short in the 2023-24 final, played a vital role in keeping the team united. His composure and experienced leadership were the key to guiding Vidarbha to their third title, forgetting the agony of last season.
Kerala’s First Final Experience
Despite the loss, Kerala’s run to their first-ever Ranji Trophy final was impressive. They displayed tremendous grit throughout the season, defying difficult odds to make it to the final.
Coach Amay Khurasiya, who picked up a symbolic handful of soil from the ground for posterity, mirrored the importance of the moment for the Kerala team. Even though they lost, Kerala gained precious experience, one that will surely stand them in good stead in future seasons.
For Vidarbha, the victory was a testament to their depth, skill, and resolve, leading to a well-deserved third Ranji Trophy title, reasserting their status as one of India’s top domestic teams.
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