BEST OF INDIA

 Ranji champions Vidarbha beat Rest of India by 93 runs to clinch Irani Cup in style

By Paritosh Pramanik

October 5, 2025

THREE times Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha annexed their third Irani Cup on Sunday with an emphatic win over Rest of India.

The Akshay Wadkar-led side thrashed Rest of India by 93 runs to lay their hands on the coveted trophy here at Vidarbha Cricket Association’s Jamtha Stadium on Sunday. Chasing 361, Rest of India were all out for 267, minutes before tea break, making it Vidarbha’s best-ever Irani Cup victory with an outright win.

Vidarbha last won back-to-back Irani Cup trophies in 2017-18 and 20-18-19 seasons under the leadership of now retired Faiz Fazal. They won their maiden trophy against the Karun Nair-led Rest of India on the basis of first innings lead and then retained the title against Ajinkya Rahane’s side, again on the basis of first innings lead at the same venue.

The third title was in sight on the fourth day itself when Vidarbha gave a mammoth target of 361 runs and then reduced Rest of India to 30-2 at the end of the day. 

Rest of India needed to show their batting skills but barring Yash Dhull (92) and Manav Suthar (56*), there was hardly any notable performance. There was a phase when Dhull had two fruitful partnerships for the sixth and seventh wickets, first with Saransh Jain (29) of 53 runs and then with Suthar of 104 runs which frustrated the home team but the target was too steep to be achieved. Vidarbha desperately needed a breakthrough as Dhull and Suthar batted for nearly two hours (117 minutes) and were looking dangerous. 

In came pacer Yash Thakur who did the job for the hosts igniting a wild celebration. He fired in a short delivery and Dhull went for an upper cut only to see Atharva Taide grabbing the ‘match-winning’ catch inches inside from the boundary rope. 

The dismissal was followed by Thakur and Dhull nearly coming to exchanging blows after the former had given the batter a rather rude send-off. Both the umpires and Vidarbha players calmed things separating the two.

The very next delivery, Thakur darted in another peach of a delivery finding new man Anshul Kamboj’s (0) furniture disturbed.

Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 30-2 Rest of India lost captain Rajat Patidar (10) in the fifth over of the morning, returning a simple catch to Aditya Thakare.

Darshan Nalkande, who scored a valuable 35 runs on the fourth day, forced another star batter Ruturaj Gaikwad (7) to nick one behind to wicketkeeper Wadkar in his fourth over of the day. Harsh Dubey, last season highest wicket taker in Ranji Trophy with 69 scalps, then got Ishan Kishan (35) who went for a shot over mid-wicket only to find Parth Rekhade collecting an easy catch. The inevitable was delayed by Jain and Dhull who stitched a half-century partnership from 66 deliveries but Rekhade spun his delivery enough to trap the former in front in the 37th over. The batter went for review but the decision went in Vidarbha’s favour. Dhull meanwhile, continued to hold one end with his gritty batting and along with Suthar took their side near the target. His threatening knock from 117 deliveries had eight boundaries and a six. But his wicket opened the floodgates and Vidarbha cruised home in 73.5 overs.

SCOREBOARD

VIDARBHA 1ST INNINGS 342

REST OF INDIA 1ST INNINGS 214

VIDARBHA 2ND INNINGS 232

REST OF INDIA 2ND INNINGS

(overnight 30-2)

A Easwaran lbw b Dubey 17

A Juyal b Thakare 6

I Kishan c Rekhade b Dubey 35

R Patidar c&b Thakare 10

R Gaikwad c Wadkar b Nalkande 7

Y Dhull c Taide b Thakur 92

S Jain lbw b Rekhade 29

M Suthar Not Out 56

A Kamboj b Thakur 0

A Deep b Dubey 3

G Brar c Taide b Dubey 7

Extras: (lb 1, nb 1, w 3) 5

TOTAL: (All out, 73.5 overs) 267

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-24, 3-52, 

4-64, 5-80, 6-133, 7-237, 

8-237, 9-249.

Bowling: Dubey 27.5-5-73-4, 

Thakare 11-1-27-2, Rekhade 

18-1-59-1, Thakur 7-1-47-2, 

Nalkande 10-1-60-1.

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Our bowling unit is best in the country: Wadkar

By Paritosh Pramanik

October 5, 2025

THREE-TIME Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup winners Vidarbha took 20 Rest of India wickets which helped them emerge the champion on Sunday at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium and captain Akshay Wadkar praised his young bowling unit saying it is the best in the country.

Vidarbha drubbed star-studded Rest of India by 93 runs to lift their third Irani Cup trophy. 

Captain Wadkar heaped praise on his bowlers and said, “I think Vidarbha’s bowling unit is the best in the country. I have confidence in all my bowlers. If the target is of 200 runs, I am sure that my bowlers would destroy opponent team inside 150 runs.”

Yash Thakur and Harsh Dubey took six wickets each in the match while Aditya Thakare and Parth Rekhade took three each. Darshan Nalkande chipped in with two wickets, one in each innings.

Wadkar was over the moon winning the title for the third time, twice as a player and now as the captain of the side and said that all the three wins have different level of satisfaction. 

Wadkar was part of the maiden Irani Cup win under Faiz Fazal in 2017-18 and again in 2018-19. When asked as to which one was more satisfying, the soft-spoken wicketkeeper-batter said, “every title win has a different level of satisfaction. When we won the first Irani Cup, it was a learning process for me, obviously I am still learning... But this time the responsibility was on my shoulder as I was playing with my juniors. It was my responsibility as a captain to guide all my team-mates.”

The previous two title wins came with stalwarts including Wasim Jaffer, R Satish, Faiz but this win came with most of the juniors in the squad and Wadkar lauded his brigade. “This is a very young team and the boys are quick learners. They enjoy learning new things and give their heart out while on the field,” he said.

On the first innings total, Wadkar felt that it was a bit less. “I think we could have scored 400 plus runs but cricket is  game of glorious uncertainties. We don’t get what we want. In final, or in any big match, whatever runs you put on the board it is not enough. The thing is whatever runs your team has scored, you have to learn to defend that total,” stated Wadkar.

The Vidarbha skipper also lauded Atharva Taide’s innings. “He grind well after those three chances he got. He played a great innings. He took time to take team to a decent total,” Wadkar concluded.

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We’ll be a good challenge in new season, says Ghani

By Paritosh Pramanik

October 5, 2025

VIDARBHA coach Usman Ghani is on a title-winning spree. His title-clinching act started with Ranji Trophy, moved to lifting Duleep Trophy for Central Zone and ended with Irani Cup with Vidarbha. 

Of the three, the Irani Cup still hold its significance for Vidarbha and Ghani said they desperately wanted this one.

“Very much, very much (its significant) because it shows that when one wins Ranji Trophy, it is not a fluke. So, it shows that our team is a good side and for the coming season, we are going to be a good challenge to all our opponents. So, Irani proves a lot that still we are there in the reckoning for the next season.”

Ghani said that the six months between Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy was preparation time for the team. “When the Ranji Trophy ends, we start preparing for the next year. Our planning starts from the moment the season ends, we start planning regarding our boys and our matches and this is how we go,” explained Ghani.

The coach said the support staff has worked hard on Atharva Taide when he was out of form.

“Last year, he didn’t get the final. Unfortunately, we had to drop him because he was not scoring runs and he was not fulfilling his role. So, the moment the season ended, we started working on him. He is a very competitive guy and he gave his 100%. We worked on his technique,” he stated.

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Thakur changed the game for us: Taide

By Paritosh Pramanik

October 5, 2025

Vidarbha opener Atharva Taide, who scored the only century of the Irani Cup match which his side won by beating Rest of India by 93 runs credited Yash Thakur for changing the complexion of the match by taking the wicket of Yash Dhull.

“The game was really in the balance at that time and Yash (Dhull) was really playing well at that time. But Yash Thakur came and changed the game for us,” said Taide, who was named player of the match.

Dhull scored a brilliant 92 and had a couple of good partnerships which threatened the hosts. But Taide took his catch on the boundary line which tilted the match in Vidarbha’s favour.

On his own performance in the match after not so good last season, Taide said, “Last season did not went as I expected but this season I prepared (myself) very well. I have prepared myself for my team and....starting the season with the Irani Cup Trophy in the bag...won’t have been a better start to the season.

“This performance is for all those who backed me, my coach, my team, selectors and everybody,” Taide mentioned.

Taide got three lives in the first innings of the match and he capitalised on that hitting a fine 143. “That’s what I have learnt from playing First Class cricket in these many years. You have to score runs on the day when you are not timing the ball well, when you are not in the best shape. In earlier innings, I was feeling well and I was timing the ball well so... I learnt that I have to grind well and have to wait for the chance. In this match (after three lives) when I got the chances I capitalise.”

Taide and his club-mate Yash Rathod (91) added 184 runs for fourth wicket which helped Vidarbha post 342 in first innings. Taide praised his partner for easing the pressure.

“Once Rathod came in, he timed the ball well and that helped me play at my pace. He took the pressure from me and was rotating the strike well. That really helped me,” said Taide.

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Vidarbha deserved this win, says Patidar

October 5, 2025

By Paritosh Pramanik

Rest of India captain rued missing the opportunity and gave full credit to Vidarbha team for winning the Irani Cup.

“I think Vidarbha played really well and deserved to win this trophy. In first inning, they grabbed the opportunity. Yash (Rathod) and (Atharva) Taide batted really well. I think their partnership made a huge difference,” said Patidar after the match.

Patidar felt that restricting Vidarbha at 342 in the first innings was good but his batters could not take the capitalise. “I think it was enough (342) as we have that kind of ability and that kind of players to score around 400-500 runs on this track. But I think today we were not...I think they played better cricket than us,” Patidar said.

Patidar was not happy with the way they batted in the first innings where they were bundled out for 214.

“If we have applied ourselves in a good way, by assessing the condition and assessing the wicket I think we could have been close to the total,” he concluded.