Nagpur, Oct 5 (NationPress) Vidarbha's captain Akshay Wadkar made history on Sunday by becoming one of the few cricketers to secure the Irani Cup both as a player and a captain. This remarkable achievement took place as Vidarbha triumphed over the Rest of India by 93 runs during the thrilling final day at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha.

In pursuit of a challenging target of 361, the Rest of India were dismissed for 267 runs. Despite a determined 92 from Yash Dhull and an unbeaten 56 from Manav Suthar, the hopes of an extraordinary chase faded. The Vidarbha bowlers, spearheaded by Harsh Dubey (4-73), alongside Aditya Thakare (2-27) and Yash Thakur (1-47), proved too formidable, securing the victory.

Wadkar expressed immense satisfaction with the performance. He stated, "Winning each time evokes a different emotion; as a younger player, it was about learning. Now, in this leadership role, I bear greater responsibility to guide the many young talents in our squad."

He further elaborated, "This is a youthful team with endless learning opportunities. We aimed for over 400 runs in our first innings, but conditions on the pitch proved challenging, preventing us from achieving our desired total."

Vidarbha's first innings saw impressive contributions, with Atharva Taide scoring 143 and Yash Rathod adding 91 to their total of 342 runs. The Rest of India struggled, managing only 214 runs, thus giving Vidarbha a healthy lead of 128 runs. They then set the Rest of India a daunting chase of 361 after scoring 232 in their second innings.

Wadkar noted the scarcity of runs during the match, emphasizing the need to maximize every opportunity, especially in a final. He praised Taide's innings, highlighting his resilience: "The best bowling unit in India can secure victories even with a modest target, and I trust our bowlers will deliver."

This victory marks Vidarbha's third Irani Cup win, but it may have been the most challenging, given the strong resistance posed by Yash Dhull in the second innings.