The Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic one-day cricket tournament, is set to kick off on December 21, 2024. The tournament will witness intense competition among 38 teams as they battle for the coveted title.

Tamil Nadu are the most successful team in the tournament’s history with five titles, while Haryana are the reigning champions.

The grand finale of the 2024-25 season will take place on January 1??8.

Groups for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25

• Group A: Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, Manipur, Assam
• Group B: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Services, Railways, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim
• Group C: Karnataka, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Saurashtra, Punjab, Pondicherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
• Group D: Tamil Nadu, Vidarbha, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram
• Group E: Bengal, Karnataka, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Baroda, Bihar

Also ??READ: UP announces a strong squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25; Rin?ku Singh named captain

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Fixtures

Broadcast and Live Streaming details

Fans in India can watch all the live action of all matches on TV via Sports18. For live streaming, they can tune in to the JioCinema app or visit the website at jiocinema.com.

Also READ: Sanju Samson exclu?ded from Vijay Hazare Trophy squad for Kerala following disciplinary concerns

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Harvik Desai delivered a stellar batting performance during Saurashtra‘s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 clash against Tamil Nadu at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. The wicketkeeper-batter lit up the match with an aggressive 24-run onslaught in a single over against the experienced left-arm spinner of Sai Kishore, who will play for  Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) , setting the tone for Saurashtra’s commanding total of 235/5. Supported by contributions from the middle order and a disciplined bowling attack, Saurashtra registered a thumpi??ng 58-run victory, leaving Tamil Nadu chasing shadows.

Harvik Desai’s domination over Sai Kishore: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

After the early dismissal of opener Tarang Gohel for a duck in the second over, Saurashtra appeared under pressure. However, Desai rose to the occasion, launching a counter-attack alongside Prerak Mankad. Together, the pair added a remarkable 99 runs off just 51 balls, dismantling Tamil Nadu’s bowling plans.

The highlight of Desai’s innings came in the fourth over, where he completely took apart Sai Kishore. Starting with a short delivery, Desai pulled it over midwicket for a massive six, setting the tone for the over. Kishore tried to adjust with another short ball, but Desai punished it through midwicket for a boundary. Sensing the need for a change in length, Kishore pitched it fuller, but Desai responded with another towering six over long-on. The pressure was palpable, and even a good-length delivery resulted in an outside edge that flew past the wicketkeeper for four. Desai finished the over with a blistering drive through extra cover for another four, taking 24 runs off ?the over.

Despite this onslaught, Sai Kishore had the last laugh w??hen he dismissed Desai with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort in the 11th over. By then, the wicketkeeper-batter had scored a match-defining 55 off 34 balls, including four sixes and five boundaries.

Here’s the video:

6️⃣,4️⃣,6️⃣,4️⃣,4️⃣ 🔥

Harvik Desai takes the attack to Sai Kishore, gets Saurashtra off to a blistering start 👌👌#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank

Scorecard ▶️ //t.co/GQ2CDU9QKj pic.twitter.com/ersgl3h2rd

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 3, 2024

Also WATCH: Hardik Pandya brutally dest??roys Parvez Sultan in a 28-run over during Baroda vs Tripura game

Saurashtra’s batting depth and bowling excellence against Tamil Nadu

Saurashtra’s batting line-up capitalized on Desai’s explosive start, with significant contributions from Ruchit Ahir and Sammar Gajjar, who both notched half-centuries. Mankad played a vital supporting role, smashing 43 off 26 balls to keep the scoring rate high. Their collective efforts propell??ed the team to a formidable 235-5 on a flat surface that provided little assistance to bowlers.

The bowling unit complemented the batting display with a disciplined performance. Tamil Nadu’s chase was derailed early, and their batters struggled to match the asking rate. Chirag Jani emerged as the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/31, using variations effectively to keep the batters guessing. Ankur Panwar and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja provided valuable support, picking up two wickets apiece. Tamil Nadu‘s lone bright spot was Boopathi Kumar, who fought valiantly with a 65 off 44?? balls, but the lack of partnerships meant their innings ended at 177/9 in 20 o?vers.

Also WATCH: Hardik Pandya takes CSK?’s new recruit Gurjapneet Singh to the cleaners in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

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India’s premier domestic cricket tournament, the Ranji Trophy, has undergone a revamp for the 2024-25 season. The new format introduces a promotion and relegation system to enhance competition and provide opportunities for teams to move between divisions.

Promotion and Relegation System

A key aspect of this season is the introduction of the promot?ion and relegation system:

Promotion: The two finalists from ?the Plate group will be promoted to the Elite category for the 2025�?6? season.

Relegation: The two lowest-performing teams from the Elite groups, based on their points and quotient, will be relegated to the ??Plate category for the following? season.

The 90th edition of the Ranji Trophy will kickstart on October 11 and continue till March 2025. 

Groups

Elite Category Groups

• Group A: Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mumbai, Odisha, Services, Tripura
• Group B: Andhra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha
• Group C: Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh
• Group D: Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Railways, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu

Plate Group: Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur,?? Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim

Also READ: Ranji Trophy 2024/25 Schedule: Date, Match Time, Broadcast &? Live Streaming Details

Squads announced so far

Meghalaya: Aryan Borah, Akash Kumar Choudhary, A??rpit Bhatewara, Bamanbha Shangpliang, Bijon Dey, Chengkam Sangma, Dippu Sangma, Jaskirat Singh Sa??chdeva, Kishan Lyngdoh, Ram Gurung, Roshan Warbah, Swarajeet Das

Maharashtra: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Nikhil Naik (wk), Ankeet Bawane, Sachin Dhas, Arshin Kulkarni, Murtaza Trunkwalla, Siddhesh Veer, Mukesh Choudhary, Hitesh Walunj, Pradeep Dadhe, ??Rajnish Gurbani, Harshal Kate, Prashant Solanki, Satya??jeet Bachhav, Mandar Bhandari, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Azim Kazi

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhessh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), S?hams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohd. Juned Khan, Royston Dias.

Odisha: Gov??inda Poddar (c), Shantanu Mishra, Anurag Sarangi, Sandeep Pattanaik, Biplab Samantaray, Kartik Biswal, Swastik Samal, Rajesh Dhupar, Aashirwad Swain (wk), Anil Parida, Suryakant Pradhan, Sunil Kumar Roul, Rajesh Mohanty, Debaprata Pradhan, Tarani Sa, Harshit Rathod, Sumit Sharma

Andhra: Ricky Bhui (c), Shaikh Rasheed (vc), KS Bharat (wk), Hanuma Vihari, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Maheep Kumar, Vamsi Krishna (wk), Abishek Reddy, KV Sasikanth, Ashwin Hebbar, CH ??Stephen, Satyanarayana Raju, A Lalith Mohan, G Manish, T Vijay, M Hemanth Reddy

Mizoram: Bobby Zothansanga (c), Vikash K??umar, KC Cariappa, Jehu Anderson, Agni Chopra, Mohit Jangra, G Lalbiakvela, Lalhriatrenga, C Lalrinsanga, Joseph Lalthankhuma, Lalhruai Ralte, Rosiamliana Ralte, Moses Ramhlunmawia, Andrew Vanlalhruaia

Hyderabad: Tilak Varma (c), Rahul Singh G (vc), CV Milind, Ta??nmay Agarwal, Rohit Rayudu, Tanay Thya??garajan, Aniketh Reddy, Nitesh Kannala, Abhirath Reddy, Himateja, Rahul Radesh, Rakshann Readdi, Kartikeya Kak, Saranu Nishant, Dheeraj Goud

Gujarat: Priyank Panchal, Arya Desai, Het Patel, Urvil Patel, Chintan Gaja, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Umang Kumar, Siddharth Desai, Manan Hingrajia, Priyajitsinh Jadeja, Tejas Patel, Ja??ymeet Patel, Rishi? Patel, Rinkesh Vaghela, Vishal Jayswal

Madhya Pradesh: Shubham Sharma (c), Yash Dubey, Himanshu Mantri, Shubranshu Senapati, Rajat Patidar, Harpreet Bhatia, Ve??nkatesh Iyer, Harsh Gawali, Kumar Kartikeya, Saransh Jain, Sagar ?Solanki, Avesh Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anubhav Agarwal, Aryan Pandey.

Karnataka (first 2 rounds): Mayank Agarwal (c), Nikin Jos?e, Devdutt Padikkal, R Smaran, Manish Pandey, S??hreyas Gopal, Sujay Sateri, Hardik Raj, Vyshak Vijayakumar, Prasidh Krishna, Vasuki Koushik, Luvnith Sisodia, Mohsin Khan, Vidyadhar Patil, Kishan Bedare, Abhilash Shetty

Kerala (first round): Sachin Baby (c), Rohan Kunnummal, Krishna Prasad, Baba Aparajith, Akshay Chandran, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), ?Salman Nizar, Vathsal Govind, Vishnu Vinod, Jalaj Sa?xena, Aditya Sarvate, Basil Thampi, Nidheesh MD, KM Asif, Fanoos F

Bengal (first 2 rounds): Anustup Majumdar, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Sudip Chatterjee, Abishek Porel, Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtic?k Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Suvam Dey, Amir Gani, Pradipta Pramanik, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Md. Kaif, Suraj Jaiswal, Rishav Vivek, Yudhajit? Guha, Rohit Kumar

Tamil Nadu (1st round): R. Sai Kishore (c), N. Jagadeesan (Vice Captain), B. Indrajith, B. Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, M. Shahrukh Khan, Boopathi Vaishna Kumar, S. Mohamed Ali, C. Andre Siddarth, S. Ajith Ram, S. Lokeshwar, S. Lakshay Jain,? Sandeep Wa??rrier, Gurjapneet Singh, M. Mohammed, R. Sonu Yadav, M. Siddharth.

Delhi (first 2 rounds): H??immat Singh (c), Ayush Badoni, Anuj Rawat (wk), Sanat Sangwan, Dhruv Kaushik, Yash Dhull, Jonty Sidhu, Mayank Rawat, Kshitiz Sharma, Pranav Rajuvanshi (wk), Sumit Mathur, Navdeep Saini, Himanshu Chauhan, Simarjeet Singh*/Divij Mehra, Hrithik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi, Money Grewal, Shivank Vashisth

Saurashtra: Jaydev Unadkat (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Harvik Desai (wk), Sheldon Jacks?on, Ta?rang Gohel, Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Prerak Mankad, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, D Jadeja, Parth Bhut, Vishvaraj Jadeja, Hiten Kanbi, Navneet Vora, Parswaraj Rana

Chhattisgarh: Amandeep Khare, Shashank Singh, Bhupen Lalwani, Eknath Kerkar, Ajay Mandal,? Shubham Agarwal, Ashutosh Singh, A?yush Pandey, Jivesh Butte, Ashish Chouhan, Sanjeet Desai, Ravi Kiran, Rishabh Tiwari, Anuj Tiwary, Vasudev Bareth, Vishvas Malik

Railways: Pratham Singh (c), Suraj Ahuja, Vivek Singh, Upendra Yadav, A?shutosh Sharma (vc), Yuvraj Singh??, Karn Sharma, Ayan Chaudhari, Shivam Chaudhary, Kunal Yadav, Bhargav Merai, Mohammad Saif, Akash Pandey, Himanshu Sangwan, Adarsh Singh

Jammu & Kashmir: Paras Dogra (c), Shubham Khajuria (vc), Abdul Samad, Abhinav Puri, Shubham Pundir, Abid Mushtaq, Vivrant Sharma, ??Rasikh Salam, Rohit Sharma, Umran Malik, Yudhvir Singh, Auqib Nab?i, Ahmed Banday, Sahil Lotra, Shivansh Sharma

Assam: Denish Das (c), Sibsankar Roy, Rahul Singh, Sidharth Sarmah, Bhargav Dutta, Rishav Das, Mrin??moy Dutta, Sumit Ghadigaonkar, Ra?hul Hazarika, Mukhtar Hussain, Parvej Musaraf, Ruhinandan Pegu, Kunal Sarma, Akash Sengupta, Abhishek Thakuri

Also READ – All you need to know about Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Format, Teams, Elite and Plate groups explained

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In a spectacular display of skill and determination, India’s out-of-favour batter Cheteshwar Pujara recently stole the spotlight with a phenomenal double century during Saurashtra‘s opening Ranji Trophy 2024 match against Jharkhand.

Despite being sidelined from the Indian Test squad, Pujara’s outstanding performance not only earned Saurashtra a commanding position in the game but also set a new record, making him the first Asian to reach the milestone of 17 double centuries in first-class cricket.

Saurashtra’s domination

The match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, witnessed an intriguing battle between Saurashtra and Jharkhand. Opting to bowl after winning the toss, Saurashtra’s bowlers, led by Chirag Jani‘s sensational five-wicket haul, efficiently bundled out Jharkhand for a modest total of 142 runs in 49 overs.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s supremacy

When it was time for Saurashtra to bat, Pujara emerged as the linchpin of the innings, making it a challenging day for the Jharkhand bowlers. With an impressive knock of 243 runs off 356 balls, including 30 fours, Pujara showcased his class and resilience. Supported by Prerak Mankad‘s significant contribution, Saurashtra declared their innings with a formidable score of 578 runs.

Also READ: “The whole system is…�?– AB de Villiers shares blunt assessment on Test cricket’s downfall

Historic achievement

Pujara’s remarkable double century marked the 17th occasion in his illustrious career when he surpassed the 200-run mark in first-class cricket, which not only makes him the first Asian to achieve such a feat but also places him joint-fourth among batters globally in terms of most first-class double centuries.

Fans’ enthusiasm and request to BCCI

The cricketing world was quick to react to Pujara’s stellar performance, and fans showered the veteran batter with praise. Despite being overlooked for the Tests in recent times, supporters fervently expressed their desire for Pujara’s return to the national side for the England series, emphasizing that his recent innings should not go unnoticed.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮 scored a double 💯💯 in R?anji troph?y at Rajkot.

Selectors you can't ignore Cheteshwar Pujara performance. You need to include Pujara the run machine against Afganistan T20 series 😅😁.#INDvsAFG #OnThisDay #RanjiTrophypic.twitter.com/fm46ICNJZk

— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) January 7, 2024

What a brilliant inning played by Cheteshwar Pujara……!!!!!!!

?He scored 243 runs from 356? balls for Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy 2024.

– What a Player, Pujara! pic.twitter.com/Vw9SRU7DK1

— Jay. (@Jay_Cricket18) January 7, 2024

The moment when Cheteshwar Pujara completed his 200…!!!

– What a way to kick off 2024 Ranji Trophy season.pic.twitter.com/cS8z9l983C

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 7, 2024

Cheteshwar Pujara scores a double century in his first match of Ranji Trophy after getting dropped from the Indian team! What a player 🇮🇳🔥🔥 #RanjiTrophy #SAvsIND pic.twitter.com/C4yRv1xzBu

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 7, 2024

Cheteshwar Pujara is Back ! 🙌🥳

Double 💯💯 in first match of Ranji Trophy 2024 #RanjiTrophy #Pujara #TestCricket #INDvsAFGpic.twitter.com/yHJzDdnu3w

— 𝑴𝑺 𝑭𝑶𝑶𝑻𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑪  (@IFootcric68275) January 7, 2024

CHETESHWAR PUJARA IS BACK…!!!!

Double hundred in the first match of Ranji Trophy 2024, dropped from the Indian team but returning in style with the bat for Saurashtra – What a player. 👌�?pic.twitter.com/iVQUE8RYPa

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 7, 2024

C?heteshwar Pujara Makes Strong Statement With Double Ton Ahead Of Squad Announcement

Cheteshwar Pujara made a strong case for his return to Test cricket with a record-extending double century in Ranji Trophy. pic.twitter.com/QaBCAJF8Da

— CrickologyNews (@CrickologyNews) January 7, 2024

The mom??ent when Cheteshwar Pujara completed his double century 🔥

What a way to kick off 2024 Ranji Trophy season. pic.twitter.com/7Ite8MSook

— RUDRA☀️🔱❤�?(@invincibl39) January 7, 2024

243 Runs in 1st Match Of Ranji Trophy in This season .
Well played Cheteshwar Pujara . ✋️ pic.twitter.com/yaxANeo0X1

— Majid speak (@majidamjad2017) January 7, 2024

Mr. Class Cheteshwar Pujara Starts His Ranji Season In Style!#DhoniXStan #AbhishekKumar #SheikhHasina #AdityaL1 #MSDhoni #BangladeshElections #DavidWarner#INDvsAFG #AmbatiRayudu pic.twitter.com/gcL9EmMgBD

— Raj 🇮🇳 (@TheLicit_) January 7, 2024

Also READ: 6 players with most centuries as an opener in?? international cricket

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India’s ‘Mr Dependable’ Cheteshwar Pujara has named the toughest bowler to face in the current era. It’s an Australian pacer whom India’s Test expert hailed as the most challenging bowler.

At the time, Pujara is playing for Saurashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23. On Friday (January 20), he scored 91 runs in a match against Andhra in the second innings. However, he couldn’t help Saurashtra win the contest and they lost by 150 runs.

Following?? his fighting knock against Andhra, Pujara reached the 12000-run mark in First Class cricket. The right-handed batter touched the milestone?? in his 145th match.

Pujara will next be seen in action when Saurashtra faces Tamil Nadu, and then he will join the Indian side for Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2023, where Australia will visit India for a four-matc?h Test series commencing on February 09.

In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, Pujara shed light on who he considers the ‘toughest bowler’ of the current era. India’s red ball stalwart named Australian skipper and premier pacer Pat Cummins a??s the most challenging bowler in cricket currently.

“Pat Cummins would be the toughest bowler to face in cricket currently,” said Pujara while ??speaking to ESPNCricinfo in a question and answer segment.

Notably, Cummins is the world’s no. 1 ranked bowler in Test cricket with 878 points to his name and will be up against Pujara in the upcoming BGT 2023. In his Test career so far, Cummins has grabbed 214 runs in 47 matches, while Pujara has slammed 7014 runs in 98 matches at an impressive average of 44.4.

Talking about the face-off between the two, the Aussie pacer ??has dismis??sed Pujara seven times in 17 innings.

Australia are currently the table toppers in World Test Championship 2021-23 standings and will look to seal their final spot next month when they lock horns with India. M??eanwhile, Rohit Sharma & Co. will also try  their best to qualify for the finale by beating the Aussies in home conditions.

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Young Indian fast bowler Umran Malik exhibited a top-class bowling show in the opening match of the Irani Cup 2022 between Saurashtra and the Rest of India.

Representing the Rest of India, which is captained by Hanuma Vihari, Umran dropped thun?ders in his 5.5 over spell, where he bagged three wickets while conceding 25 runs to bundl??e out Saurashtra for a mere 98 on Day 1.

During his three-wicket performance, the right-arm pacer grabbed eyeballs with his absolute jaffa that got rid of Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat. It all happened during the 16th over when Umran delivered an out-swinging yorker c?locked at 147kph. Unadkat had no clue whatsoever as the red leather went past his defence and shattered the stumps.

Here is the video:

Umran Malik Sheer Pace Outswinging Yorker 🔥🥵

Bowling : 3️⃣/25 in 5.5 Overs 🔥#SRH | #OrangeArmy𓅃 | #OrangeArmy | #IPL2023 #IndvsSA | @umran_malik_01 pic.twitter.com/jSgtkPcTp0

— Orange Army (@OrangeArmyIPL) October 1, 2022

Speaking about the game, the Rest of India, after opting to bowl first, bowled exceptionally well to restrict Saurashtra to under 100. Apart from Umran, Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Sen were also impressive with their performances. Mukesh was, in fact, the leader with four wickets to his name in 10 overs, including 4 maidens. Kuldeep, on the other hand, ??bagged three scalps in seven overs.

After packing Saurashtra for 98, the Rest of India also had a terrible start, losing their top three batters for 18 inside five overs. However, captain Vihari and man-in-form Sarfaraz Khan joined hands to take their side out of trouble.

The duo went on to form an unbeaten partnership of 187 runs for the fourth wicket to take control of the proceedings. While ?Vihari scored a brilliant 62 not out, it was Sarfaraz who stole the show. The right-handed batter continued his golden form with a bat and smashed a tremendous century. He stayed undefeated at 125?? with the help of 19 fours, and a couple of sixes as the Rest of India managed to post 205/3 in 49 overs at stumps.

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Perhaps the best wicketkeeper in the country presently, Wriddhi??man Saha, reflected on the current cr??isis which has plagued the sporting world currently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak forced all cricketing ac?tion to be suspen??ded, canceled, or postponed. For Saha, it is his life and family which comes first.

The thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier Lea?gue (IPL), has also been postponed till April 15, which was initially schedule??d to commence from March 29.

Saha aff?irmed that no one has a choice but to wait for the pandemic to die down, before the resumption of all sporting act?ivities.

“Life and family come first. Then you can talk about sport. We all sacrifice a lot for the game, but eventually, if a lot of people are hampered, that is not necessary,” Saha stated during his interaction with IANS.

“So, we need to take appropriate precautions. For the time being, we all have to wait, and when the situation gets better, we all will look to do well in the IPL,” added Saha.

The Ranji Trophy Finals of 2018-19 just managed to conclude in time before the virus reach??ed the shores of India.

Bengal came heart-wrenchingly close in their first appearance in the domestic league finals since the 2006-07 season. However, it was Cheteshwar Pujara’s Saurashtra team, which won their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

Saha, who took part in the finals representing Bengal, revealed?? that the game was even until the final day. But early w??ickets on Day 4 cost them the game.

“Bengal played so well throughout the season. They won tough games en-route to the final. I would have loved to win the Ranji Trophy with Bengal. But it’s a sport. Till the fifth day, it was a 50-50 match. But we lost early wickets on the fifth day, so it became tough for us,” concluded Saha.

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The last year?? runner-ups Saurashtra won the?? 2019-20 season of Ranji Trophy. In eight years, Saurashtra has qualified in four finals, and finally, the day came when they lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

Saurashtra are the @paytm #RanjiTrophy 2019-20 Champions! 🏆🏆

Bengal put up a solid fight in the #Final and had a fine season. 👏👏 #SAUvBEN

Scorecard 👉 //t.co/LPb46JOjje pic.twitter.com/NH0SZbLStM

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 13, 2020

A big credit goes to Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat who led his side f?rom the front. The left-arm pacer had an unbelievable tournament. He grabbed 67 wickets in the competition �?second highest in a single season by any bowler in the history of Ranji Trophy.

During the semi-final game against Gujarat, Unadkat etched his name in record books after he broke a 21-year-old record for most wickets by a fast bowler in a single season. Unadkat surpassed Karnataka’s Dodda Ganesh, who previously held this record when he claimed 62 scalps in the 1998-99 season.

In the match against Bengal, Saurashtra posted 425 in their first innings with Arpit Vasavada smashing a brilliant century. Opener Avi Barot and No.3 batsman Vishvaraj Jadej?a scored 54 each. Experienced Cheteshwar Pujara also joined the party and played a vital knock of 66 runs.

?In response??, Bengal got all out for 381, with Sudip Chatterjee (81) scoring the most runs. Wriddhiman Saha contributed well with 64 off 184 balls, followed by Anustup Majumdar (63 off 151 balls). Arnab Nandi (40) too, played a handy knock down the order.

In the second innings, Saurashtra posted 105-4 in 34 overs when the match ended in a draw. However, Saurashtra won the trophy on the basis of a first-i??nnings lead.

And this beautiful legend Trophy comes to the homeland of Legendary Jam Ranji. Kudos Saurashtrians. @BCCIdomestic @BCCI #cricket @JUnadkat @imjadeja @cheteshwar1 @ShelJackson27 @appy_vasavada pic.twitter.com/omHNOosT9f

— Saurashtra Cricket (@saucricket) March 13, 2020

For his outstanding ton, Vasavada was honored with the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

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The ongoing Ranji Trophy finals between Saurashtra and Bengal at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot already had its fair share of controversy with a life-less pitch on offer.

Moreover, another instance from the finals raised quite a ??few eyebrows as only a single u??mpire is officiating from both ends.

Dur??ing play on Day 1, umpire Chettithody Shamsuddin was hit on the lower abdomen area, after one of the fielders passed the ball post dismissal of the batsman. The injury to the umpire forced him to remain out of action in the first session of Day 2.

It meant that KN Ananthapadmanabhan had to officiate from both ends in the match, while Piyush Kakkar stood ?at square leg throughout the entire?ty.

Due to?? the various responsibilities of the third umpire, Sundaram Ravi was not able to deploy himself on the ground.

According to the laws of domestic cricket in India, only two umpires are deployed for officiating the match. The third um?pire plays the dual role of match referee as well as the controllers of six cameras overlooki??ng the game for DRS appeals.

As opposed to the role of the fourth umpire in the international game, when an umpire is injured or feels unhealthy, the liaison officer for umpires and match referee replaces them. Thes??e are usually local umpires on the ground deployed by State Association.

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