Vidarbha clinched their third Ranji title after drawing the final against Kerala at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. The win was on cards as, after they gained a lead in the first innings on Day 3 of the clash. Danish Malewar's 153 and Karun Nair's 86 in the first innings helped Vidarbha to post a daunting total.ย
The match ended in a draw after Vidarbha reached 375 for 9 in their second innings. Vidarbha had made 379 in their first innings and took a crucial 37-run lead by bowling out Kerala for 342. Vidarbha had earlier won the competition in 2017-18 and 2018-19.ย
After missing his century in the first innings, Karun Nair smashed his ninth Ranji ton in the second innings. After Karun Nair's wicket, it seemed like Kerala made a comeback as they picked up a few more wickets in quick succession but the lower order batters kept scoring runs and stretched the lead over the 400-run mark.ย
Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani after dominating win against Kerala
"Very excited. It's real hard work. The process we followed was important. Last year, we fell short by a whisker. We have a system here in Vidarbha. Amazing [support staff]. It's a teamwork behind this, and we've done it. Very proud of the youngsters [Harsh Dubey and Yash Rathod]."
Prize money for Vidarbha
After this remarkable win, Vidarbha will take home Rs. 5 crore INR, thanks to the prize money increase announced by the BCCI in April 2023 for domestic tournaments. Kerala, finishing as runners-up, will receive Rs. 3 crore.
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