"Incredible dominance" - Fans erupt as Mumbai beat Vidarbha by 169 runs to clinch 42nd Ranji Trophy
A clinical all-around performance helped Mumbai beat two-time champions Vidarbha by 169 runs to win their 42nd Ranji Trophy at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, March 14.
With the win, Mumbai also ended their eight-year-long Ranji Trophy drought. No other teams have won more than eight trophies, with Karnataka at eight and Delhi with seven titles in the prestigious tournament.
Chasing a mammoth 538-run target, Vidarbha fought hard but were bundled out for 368. Skipper Akshay Wadkar top-scored with 102 runs off 199 balls, including one six and nine boundaries. Meanwhile, Karun Nair and Harsh Dubey also chipped in with 74 (220) and 65 (128), respectively, but failed to take the team past the finish line.
Tanush Kotian bagged four wickets for Mumbai, while Tushar Deshpande and Musheer Khan picked up two wickets each.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded Mumbai for their dominance in the Ranji Trophy. One user wrote:
"Incredible dominance!"
Here are some more reactions:
Mumbai set up a mammoth 538-run target for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy final
Musheer Khan’s century along with half-centuries from skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Shams Mulani helped Mumbai post 418 in their second innings. As a result, they set up a mammoth 538-run target for Vidarbha.
Musheer scored 136 off 326, including 10 boundaries. Rahane, Iyer, and Mulani chipped in with 73 (143), 95 (111) and 50 (85), respectively.
Harsh Dubey starred with the ball for Vidarbha, bagging a five-wicket haul, while Yash Thakur scalped two wickets.
Batting first, Mumbai had put up 224 in their first innings, thanks to a fighting knock from Shardul Thakur. The all-rounder scored 75 off 69 in an innings laced with three sixes and eight boundaries.
Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur shared three wickets apiece, while Umesh Yadav took two for Vidarbha.
In reply, Vidarbha were bowled out for 105 to hand a 119-run lead to Mumbai in the first innings. Dhawal Kulkarni, Shams Mulani, and Tanush Kotian bagged three wickets each.
Click here to check out the full Mumbai vs Vidarbha Ranji Trophy final scorecard.