Vidarbha sailed to a nine-wicket win over Delhi to lift their maiden Ranji Trophy title in Indore. Experienced campaigner, Wasim Jaffer who was playing in his ninth Ranji Trophy final and was won the coveted trophy every time he has appeared in a final struck Kulwant Khejroliya to the fence to claim victory.
Having bowled Delhi out for 280, Vidarbha needed 29 runs to win. The skipper and the highest run-getter for the team through the season, Faiz Fazal was adjudged lbw in the first over. Jaffer then overhauled the paltry target with SR Ramaswamy in five overs to finish the game with a day to spare.
The day began with Vidarbha adding 19 runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 547 on the fourth day with a whooping 252-run first innings lead. All the three remaining wickets fell with the score on 547. Siddhesh Neral’s chancy innings ended for 74. The batsman edged Navdeep Saini to the wicketkeeper while Akshay Wadkar departed taking the aerial route.
Although Wadkar returned on his overnight score of 133, it was his innings that helped bat Delhi out of the game. In the next over Aditya Thakare was sent back by Saini to bring curtains down on the Vidarbha innings.
With the match tipped heavily in Vidarbha’s favour, the Delhi openers Kunal Chandela and Gautam Gambhir came out to the middle.
However, with just 32 runs on the board Chandela departed taking the aerial route off A Wakhare. The left-handed opener who had struck some delectable drives was then trapped lbw by Rajneesh Gurbani leaving the team on 50 for two a bit later.
The first innings centurion, Dhruv Shorey was then joined in the middle by Nitish Rana. Chipping away at the opposition the pair put together 114-runs for the third wicket until the No 3 bat edged A Sarvate to the wicketkeeper leaving the side on 164 for three.
With Rishabh Pant, Nitish Rana then continued to carry the innings forward until Rajneesh Gurbani drew an edge from the latter through to Wadkar at the stroke of Tea leaving the side wobbling on 189 for four.
With a run added to the tally Himmat Singh was castled for zero by A Wakhare upfront in the final session of the day. From there on it was all downhill for the Pant-led team. A bit later with Delhi still trailing by 30 runs the skipper departed swinging his bat at a Siddhesh Neral delivery leaving his side on 222 for six. Six runs later Manan Sharma was bowled Wakhare.
Vikas Mishra and Akash Sudan then averted a innings defeat as they added 45 runs to the tally until the former was removed by Sarvate. Off the last ball of his over, the bowler sent back Akash Sudan to wrap-up Delhi’s second innings for 280.
The Faiz Fazal-led team were set a meagre target to lay their hands on the trophy which then attained with ease.
Man of The Match: Rajneesh Gurbani
Scorecard 
