Ranji Trophy: Kerala Eyes First Title in Final Against Vidarbha

Nagpur, Feb 25 (NationPress) Kerala is focused on clinching their first-ever Ranji Trophy title as they face the formidable two-time champions Vidarbha in the final showdown, scheduled to take place at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha starting Wednesday.

This season has been remarkable for Kerala, as they have reached the semifinals for the second time in their history, the first being in the 2018-19 season. Despite not advancing beyond the semifinals in the past, they have now made history under the leadership of head coach Amay Khurasiya by reaching their inaugural Ranji Trophy final after narrowly leading by two runs in the first innings against Gujarat.

During their journey to the final, Kerala drew all four of their group-stage matches against Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bengal, and Karnataka, which allowed them to advance to the knockout stage.

In the quarterfinals, led by Sachin Bay, they drew their match against Jammu and Kashmir and progressed to their second semifinal with a first-innings lead, ultimately securing a spot in the final with a thrilling semifinal victory.

Key contributors to Kerala’s success include the seasoned Jalaj Saxena, who achieved the rare Ranji double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets earlier this season, and Salman Nizar, the team's top run-scorer with 607 runs at an impressive average of 86.71. Fast bowler MD Nidheesh has also emerged as a significant threat, achieving a match haul of ten wickets in the quarterfinal.

On the flip side, Vidarbha will be competing in their fourth Ranji Trophy final and second consecutive one. Under the captaincy of Akshay Wadkar, they remain unbeaten this year and are eager to rectify their loss in last year's final against Mumbai. They triumphantly defeated the 42-time champions Mumbai by 80 runs to reach the final.

In the group stage, Vidarbha secured five victories and drew two matches. In the quarterfinals, they triumphed over Tamil Nadu by an innings and 88 runs, followed by their semifinal win against Mumbai.

Key players for Vidarbha include top batter Yash Rathod, who has scored 933 runs in nine matches this season with an average of 58, and bowler Harsh Dubey, who has taken 66 wickets. Their captain has also contributed significantly, being the second-highest run-scorer for the team with 674 runs.

Vidarbha has retained their 17-member squad for the Ranji Trophy final, whereas Kerala is yet to announce theirs.

Squad-

Vidarbha: Akshay Wadkar (c&wk), Atharva Taide, Aman Mokhade, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Akshay Karnewar, Yash Kadam, Akshay Wakhare, Aditya Thakare, Darshan Nalkande, Nachiket Bhute, Siddhesh Wath (wk), Yash Thakur, Danish Malewar, Parth Rekhade, Karun Nair, Dhruv Shorey.

Kerala: Yet to be named