Bengaluru, Jan 25 (NationPress) The duo of Saransh Jain and Sagar Solanki showcased an impressive performance, taking a combined total of six wickets, as Madhya Pradesh defeated Karnataka by a staggering 217 runs on the final day of their 2025/26 Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match held at the Alur Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Starting their second innings at 204/6, Madhya Pradesh declared at 229/8, presenting Karnataka with a challenging target of 362 runs. In response, the home team struggled, collapsing to 144, with Jain and Solanki troubling the renowned batting order, claiming 3 wickets each (Jain: 3-37, Solanki: 3-20).

Despite KV Aneesh's commendable 57 runs off 142 balls, which followed his first innings score of 92, Karnataka felt the absence of the injured Karun Nair. Nikin Jose, who stepped in as a concussion substitute, managed 26 runs from 101 balls before being dismissed lbw by Jain.

José and Shreyas Gopal formed a partnership that added 61 runs, but once that was broken, Karnataka quickly fell apart. This emphatic victory propelled Madhya Pradesh to second place in Elite Group B with 22 points, while Karnataka slipped to third with 21 points. Maharashtra also secured an eight-wicket win over Goa, thanks to Arshin Kulkarni's unbeaten 52 in a successful chase, allowing them to ascend to the top of the points table with 24 points.

With Saurashtra also in the mix at 19 points, Group B has intensified into a four-way battle for two knockout positions. Karnataka must win against Punjab in their final league match at Mullanpur starting January 29 to keep their hopes alive.

In another match, Tamil Nadu achieved a commanding 207-run victory over Odisha in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A encounter at the KIIT Stadium. Chasing a daunting target of 455, Odisha was all out for 247, with Anil Parida falling just short of a century, scoring 98 runs off 220 balls.

Captain Subhranshu Senapati contributed 55 runs, but the rest of the batting line-up crumbled against Tamil Nadu's bowling unit. The match's standout performer was all-rounder Sonu Yadav, who was named Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling figures of 5-30 in the first innings and a swift 74 runs off 75 balls in the second innings.

Yadav's contributions allowed Tamil Nadu to post 316 in their second innings, leaving Odisha with a minimal chance in their run chase. Although Tamil Nadu secured crucial points, they have already been eliminated from the knockout stage.

Brief scores: Madhya Pradesh 323 and 229/8 declared beat Karnataka 191 and 144 all out (KV Aneesh 57; Saransh Jain 3-37, Sagar Solanki 3-20) by 217 runs.

Goa 209 and 248 lost to Maharashtra 350 and 109/2 (Arshin Kulkarni 52 not out) by eight wickets.

Tamil Nadu 286 and 316 all out (Athish SR 88, Guruswamy Ajitesh 49; Badal Biswal 3/56) beat Odisha 148 and 247 all out (Anil Parida 98; Nidhish Rajgopal 2/9, R Sai Kishore 2/43, P Vidyuth 2/46, Sonu Yadav 2/39) by 207 runs.