Vidarbha's 22-yr-old star scripts history, shatters Ranji Trophy's all-time record of most wickets in a season in final clash against Kerala

Vidarbha's 22-year-old spinner Harsh Dubey tasted history as he shattered Ranji Trophy's all-time record of picking most wickets in a single season. Harsh Dubey tasted glory during 2024-25 Ranji final against Kerala at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, on Friday, February 28.

Harsh Dubey breaks Ranji Trophy's all-time record of most wickets in a single season

During Kerala's second innings, following Vidarbha's 379-run total, Dubey bagged his record-breaking wicket by dismissing Nidheesh MD after the tea interval on the third day. This marked his third wicket of the innings. Earlier, he had removed Kerala's top scorer, Aditya Sarvate, and then trapped Salman Nizar, Kerala's highest run-scorer of the season, leg-before just before lunch.

Dubey's remarkable performance surpassed the previous record held by Bihar's Ashutosh Aman, who took 68 wickets in the 2018-19 season. Notably, while Aman's wickets were all achieved in the Plate group, Dubey's wickets were earned in the more competitive Elite Group, where Vidarbha has remained undefeated throughout the season.

List of bowlers with most wickets in a season in Ranji Trophy:

1. Harsh Dubey in 2024/25*- 69 wickets
2. Ashutosh Aman in 2018/19 -68 wickets
3. Jaydev Unadkat in 2019/20 - 67 wickets
4. Bishan Singh Bedi in 1974/75 - 64 wickets
5. Dodda Ganesh in 1998/99 - 62 wickets
6. Kanwaljit Singh in 1999/00 - 62 wickets

Harsh Dubey's stellar performance was pivotal in Vidarbha's semi-final victory over Mumbai, where he secured his seventh five-wicket haul of the season, tying the record for the most such hauls by an Elite group bowler in a single season.

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The 22-year-old, who debuted in First Class cricket in 2022, has joined an elite group of just six bowlers to surpass 60 wickets in a season, trailing only Ashutosh Aman, Jaydev Unadkat, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kanwaljit Singh, and Dodda Ganesh

Beyond his prolific wicket-taking ability, Dubey has also proved his batting prowess, amassing 472 runs in 17 innings, including five half-centuries. This remarkable all-round performance places him among a select few in Ranji Trophy history. He is only the fourth player to achieve the all-rounder's double of scoring over 450 runs and taking more than 50 wickets in a single season, highlighting his exceptional contribution to Vidarbha's campaign.

450-plus runs and 50-plus wickets in a Ranji Trophy season

529 runs, 52 wickets – Sunil Joshi (Karnataka, 1995/96)
461 runs, 53 wickets – Gurender Singh (Meghalaya, 2018/19)
603 runs, 55 wickets – R Sanjay Yadav (Meghalaya, 2019/20)
472 runs, 69 wickets – Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha, 2024/25)*