Ranji Trophy Final: Vidarbha win Ranji Trophy for the third time after draw vs Kerala, Karun Nair & Danish Malewar were the heroes

The Vidarbha Cricket Team, under the leadership of Akshay Wadkar, lifted their third Ranji Trophy final after a long gap of seven years as they defeated Sachin Baby-led Kerala in the final at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha. This all-important summit clash ended in a draw but Akshay Wadkar & his men were crowned the winners on the basis of having a superior first inning lead. 

Batting first, the two-time winners put up a big score of 379 runs on the board in their first inning, thanks to the superb knock of 153 runs by Danish Malewar and Karun Nair's 86-run knock. The Kerala bowlers had a hard time containing them as both of them played flamboyant innings and helped their side reach a good score. 

The Trio of M.D Nidheesh (3-61), Eden Apple Tom (3-102) and Nabi Basil (2-60) were the best bowlers of Kerala as they played an important role in restricting the Vidarbha team below the score of 400 runs. Veteran spinner Jalaj Saxena also chipped in with a wicket. 

In reply, the team of Kerala scored 342 runs in their first innings as half centuries from skipper Sachin Baby (98 runs) and Aditya Sarwate (79 runs) helped their team to reduce the first innings lead of the two-time winners. 

Darshan Nalkande (3-52), Harsh Dubey (3-88) and Parth Rekhade (3-65) were the best performers of Vidarbha with the ball. 

The Akshay Wadkar-led team in their second inning went on to score 375-9 at the end of the fifth and final day's play and as per the rules of the first-class tournament, Vidarbha were declared as the winners. The heroes of this match were Danish Malewar and Karun Nair, who scored 153 and 86 runs respectively in the first innings.

In the Ranji Trophy final match, Kerala won the toss and decided to bowl first. Vidarbha scored 379 runs in the first innings, Danish Malwar scored the most runs in this, as his innings of 153 runs consisted of 15 fours and 3 sixes. Karun Nair, who looked brilliant in the tournament, went on to score an amazing century in the 2nd inning, which was key in helping his side secure the win. 

Vidarbha lifted the Ranji Trophy title for the third time

This is the third Ranji Trophy title for the Vidarbha team. Earlier, the team had become champion twice in a row. The team won its first Ranji Trophy title in 2017-18. After this, Vidarbha also won the 2018-19 title. In the last season, the Vidarbha team was the runner-up, as they had to face defeat at the hands of Mumbai in the final. 

Ranji trophy final draw rules: Ranji trophy final draw rules

If the final match of Ranji Trophy ends in a draw, how is the winner declared? This question must be in your mind too. Actually, if the final match of Ranji Trophy ends in a draw, then the team scoring more runs on the basis of the first innings is declared the winner. In the Vidarbha vs Kerala final match, Vidarbha scored 379 runs in the first innings while Kerala scored 342 runs in the first innings. Vidarbha had gained a lead of 37 runs on the basis of the first innings, and that's why they were crowned as winners.