Siddharth Desai’s five-wicket haul helped Gujarat register a comfortable 10-wicket victory over Odisha in Ahmedabad in the Ranji Trophy. Bengal also began their campaign with a win, beating Delhi, while Maharashtra, Baroda, Vidarbha and Haryana secured victories in their respective matches on the final day.
In the Plate group, Pheiroijam Jotin’s unbeaten century guided Manipur to a three-wicket win over Mizoram in a tense chase. Meanwhile, several other fixtures ended in draws, with Karun Nair, Shubham Sharma, Salil Arora, Emanjot Singh Chahal and Chirag Jani among the notable performers.
Gujarat Beat Odisha by 10 Wickets
Siddharth Desai’s five-wicket haul set up Gujarat’s comfortable victory over Odisha in Ahmedabad. Odisha resumed their second innings at 119/4 on Day 4, holding a slender lead of just four runs. However, their innings ended quickly as Desai and Arzan Nagwaswalla, who claimed 3/33, struck at regular intervals to bowl them out for 161.
Chasing a target of just 47 runs, Gujarat needed only 9.3 overs to complete a 10-wicket win and earn a bonus point.
Bengal Begin Campaign with Win Over Delhi
Bengal made a winning start to their Ranji Trophy campaign with a comfortable victory over Delhi, despite a fighting 85 from Delhi captain Ayush Badoni.
Delhi resumed the final day at 101/3 in their second innings but continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, eventually being bowled out for 277. Pradipta Pramanik led Bengal’s attack with three wickets, while Aamir Gani and Sumanta Gupta claimed two wickets each.
Needing just 89 runs for victory, Bengal reached the target in 15.3 overs. Ankur Paul contributed 38, while captain Abhimanyu Easwaran remained unbeaten on 34 to guide his side home.
Vicky Ostwal’s Five-For Powers Maharashtra to Victory
Vicky Ostwal’s five-wicket haul overshadowed Arjun Sharma’s effort as Maharashtra registered a 127-run victory over Services in Delhi.
Maharashtra resumed their second innings at 66/5 but slipped to 102/8 before Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s 43 helped them finish on 141. That set Services a target of 248 for victory.
Ostwal led the bowling effort, supported by Siddhesh Veer’s 3/27 and Hitesh Walunj’s 2/28, as Services were bowled out for 120. Maharashtra completed a convincing win despite facing a challenging position earlier in the day.
Baroda Thrash Goa by an Innings and 135 Runs
Bhargav Bhatt and Mahesh Pithiya combined to secure a dominant victory for Baroda against Goa in Panaji. Asked to follow on, Goa resumed their second innings at 35/1 but struggled against Baroda’s spin attack and were bowled out for 138.
Bhatt claimed five wickets, while Pithiya picked up four to wrap up an innings-and-135-run victory. Both bowlers finished with nine wickets each in the match, helping Baroda collect seven points.
Harsh Dubey Leads Vidarbha to 160-Run Win
Vidarbha registered a 160-run victory over Puducherry, with Dhruv Shorey and Aman Mokhade contributing half-centuries before Harsh Dubey starred with the ball.
Vidarbha declared their second innings at 175/3, setting Puducherry a target of 291. Dubey claimed four wickets, while Parth Rekhade picked up three and Mokhade added two as Puducherry were dismissed for 130.
The result gave Vidarbha a convincing win after a disciplined all-round performance.
Haryana Beat Himachal Pradesh by Seven Wickets
Haryana secured a seven-wicket victory over Himachal Pradesh after completing a modest chase in less than 10 overs on the final day.
Resuming at 26/3 while chasing a target of 71, Haryana quickly reached the required total to seal the win. Kanishk Chouhan was named Player of the Match after contributing a half-century and taking two wickets.
Pheiroijam Jotin’s Unbeaten Century Guides Manipur to Victory
Pheiroijam Jotin produced a match-winning unbeaten 105 to help Manipur overcome Mizoram by three wickets in their Plate group fixture.
Chasing 228 for victory, Manipur resumed the final day at 8/0 but suffered a dramatic collapse to 52/5 as Khiangte Vanrotlinga and Lalrempuia struck early.
Jotin, batting at No. 7, then steadied the innings with a 114-run partnership with Johnson Singh, who scored 51. Manipur faced further pressure when Johnson and L Kishan Singha fell in quick succession, leaving the side at 185/7.
However, Jotin held his ground and guided Manipur home alongside Rx Rajkumar to complete a hard-fought three-wicket win.
Other Noteworthy Performances
Karun Nair’s Unbeaten 155 Helps Karnataka Draw with Andhra
Karun Nair scored an unbeaten 155 to rescue Karnataka in their drawn match against Andhra in Vijayawada, although the hosts secured the first-innings lead.
Karnataka resumed at 176/6 on Day 4 and lost two more wickets early. Nair then combined with the lower order to help his side reach 337/9 before declaring.
Chasing 194 for victory, Andhra finished at 104/4 as the match ended in a draw.
Shubham Sharma’s Century as Jammu and Kashmir Hold on for a Draw
Shubham Sharma’s unbeaten 106 helped Madhya Pradesh declare at 249/6 in their second innings against defending champions Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar. Madhya Pradesh had resumed at 151/5 and looked to set up a challenging chase.
Jammu and Kashmir’s reply began disastrously as Avesh Khan and Aryan Pandey reduced them to 12/5. The hosts continued to lose wickets, but rain and bad light also disrupted Madhya Pradesh’s push for a result.
Auqib Nabi, unbeaten on 30, and Kanhaiya Wadhawan, unbeaten on 27 after returning from a retirement due to injury, helped Jammu and Kashmir reach 88/7 before the teams settled for a draw.
Salil Arora, Emanjot Singh Chahal Hit Centuries as Punjab Draw with Assam
Centuries from Salil Arora and Emanjot Singh Chahal helped Punjab strengthen their position against Assam, but the match ended in a draw with Punjab securing the first-innings lead.
Punjab resumed at 287/5 and declared at 478/6, with Arora and Chahal completing their centuries. Assam, trailing by 105 runs, struggled early in their second innings as Umesh Yadav and Harpreet Brar reduced them to 36/3.
The middle order then resisted Punjab’s attack to take Assam to 157/6 before the match ended in a draw.
Chirag Jani’s Century Helps Saurashtra Draw with Chhattisgarh
Chirag Jani scored 127 as Saurashtra strengthened their position against Chhattisgarh in a match that ended in a draw.
Having secured the first-innings lead, Saurashtra declared their second innings at 229/1. Jani and Harvik Desai, who scored 68, shared a 151-run opening partnership to put their side in control.
Ravindra Jadeja was named Player of the Match for his century and three-wicket haul earlier in the fixture.
Aditya Sarwate’s Fighting 95 Helps Kerala Secure Draw
Aditya Sarwate’s 95 off 135 balls helped Kerala avoid defeat against Jharkhand, although the latter secured the first-innings lead.
Kerala resumed at 269/6 in reply to Jharkhand’s 587 and were in danger of being bowled out cheaply. Sarwate and Salman Nizar, who scored 43 off 135 balls, put together
