Holders Vid win but out of KOs

By Paritosh Pramanik

Feb 1, 2026

DEFENDING champions Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy sojourn ended prematurely despite their four wickets victory over Uttar Pradesh at VCA Jamtha on Sunday.

With Jharkhand recording a five-wicket victory over Odisha and Andhra playing draw with Nagaland, all three finished their league rounds with 31 points each from Group A.

However, Jharkhand pushed Vidarbha to third spot as they earned three bonus points (for innings wins) as compared to Vidarbha’s one. Their run quotient (1.545) also was superior than that of Vidarbha (1.526).

Andhra, who have two bonus points and best run quotient (1.628) in the group, made it to quarters along with Jharkhand.

Vidarbha opener Aman Mokhade (83) and middle order batter Danish Malewar (54) punished Uttar Pradesh bowlers with disdain as the title holders ended their league outings with four wins, two draws and a loss.

Vidarbha chased down the required runs 22 minutes before lunch break.  On the third evening, with Vidarbha four wickets down and needing another 110 runs for an outright win, it looked that hosts would face trouble taking on the UP attack on a tricky track. But with the pitch easing out surprisingly, overnight not out batter Mokhade and Malewar hit boundaries to puncture the rival teams attack.

Malewar, who got a reprieve in the second over of the day when he was dropped on five at slips by Abhishek Goswami, was harsh on UP bowlers. He started with a straight boundary off Shivam Mavi to start his run scoring spree. An over later the right-handed batter stepped out to pick another four off the same bowler. 

Mokhade stayed calm for a while and then freed his arms hitting pacer Kartik Tyagi for a beautiful cover drive which crossed the fence in no time.

Later, he picked two fours in same over of left-arm spinner Kartik Yadav. He gently dabbed the ball towards third man fence and then flicked one to fine leg boundary. At the other end, Malewar was in his elements. He adjusted himself on the crease and once executed an elegant backfooot punch towards long-on fence for four.

The two added match winning 82 runs for the fifth wicket before Mokhade was caught behind by Aditya Sharma of off-spinner Shivam Sharma, with Vidarbha needing another 28 runs for win.

Malewar completed his half-century in 55th over with a single. His 77-ball fifty had five boundaries and a six. 

But he could not stay till the end as part-timer Dhruv Jurel got a faint edge of his bat for a caught behind wicket. Dubey, who hit a couple of boundaries and a six, and Nachiket Bhute completed the formalities with the latter hitting a six of his first ball.

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We have best bowling line-up in India: Dubey

n By Paritosh Pramanik

Stand-in captain Harsh Dubey said it was a learning experience for him to lead Vidarbha side in all three formats of the game and lauded his bowlers as the best in the country at present. 

With first choice captain Akshay Wadkar injured, Dubey was named captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare and last two games of Ranji Trophy.

“It was not challenging but I would say a learning curve for me. It taught me how to take decisions, how to utilise bowlers and specially how and when to bring myself in attack,” said Dubey after Vidarbha’s win over Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

“I have always said that Vidarbha have the best bowlers in the country in all three formats. We can dismantle any side. Batters win matches for you but it is the bowlers who win tournaments. They proved this by winning Vijay Hazare tournament,” said left-arm spinner Dubey, who was the highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy last season.

Dubey admitted the situation would have been diferent had experienced players like Dhruv Shorey, Yash Rathod and Wadkar were available for the game against Andhra. “But I belive that Vidarbha have a good back-up line and those got opportunities have excelled in the age group tournaments so we can’t call them inexperienced. So, I think that might be one of the reasons (not having top three),” Dubey concluded.

Hosts eye outright win

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 31, 2026

VIDARBHA bowled like champions on the penultimate day of their must-win Ranji Trophy match bundling out Uttar Pradesh for 200 runs in the afternoon session at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Saturday. But Uttar Pradesh pegged back taking four wickets to leave the match tantalisingly poised.

The target of 201 was then cut down to 110 when the stumps were drawn for the day with Vidarbha knocking off 91 runs but in the process lost top four batters.

Opener Aman Mokhade was going strong with an unbeaten 50 and will have to take the entire responsibility on his shoulders on the final morning. Vidarbha lost fourth wicket on the penultimate delivery of the day when Ravikumr Samarth was trapped lbw off Shivam Sharma.

Vidarbha have full day to score those remaining runs and register an outright win. However, they will have to wait for the result of the Jharkhand vs Odisha tie to see who make it to knock-outs. If Jharkhand and Vidarbha both win their games, they will move to 31 points each and then it will boil down to run quotient.

It was a collective effort from Vidarbha bowlers with spinner Parth Rekhade leading the charge with three wickets. Seamers Yash Thakur and Nachiket Bhute took two each and captain Harsh Dubey and Yash Kadam chipped in with one apiece.

Vidarbha delivered immediately in the morning to trigger Uttar Pradesh’s downfall. And, by the time lunch arrived, Vidarbha had devoured five wickets with visitors reeling at 160-7.

Resuming the third day at 

75-2, the two overnight batters – captain Aryan Juyal (36) and Aditya Sharma (44) -- added 64 runs for the third wicket before seamer Thakur sent the rival skipper back caught behind. Bhute then bowled a peach of a delivery to rattle Aditya Sharma’s furniture in the 41st over. 

Siddharth Yadav did not trouble much as skipper Dubey trapped him in front. 

First innings star Dhruv Jurel tried to replicate his innings in second essay with a cautious 40 but Mokhade took a breathtaking diving catch at mid-wicket boundary off Kadam to cut short his stay. 

Within an over, Shivam Mavi was caught at first slip by  Samarth and Vidarbha were in total control.

Post lunch break, Kartik Yadav got run out while Kartik Tyagi and  Karan Chaudhary were trapped in front by Rekhade as UP innings folded at 200 runs.

The Bhoyar-Mokhade pair then decided not to take any risk and played dead bat for a brief period. They added only eight runs from seven overs going into the tea break.

Post break, they freed their arms with Mokhade hitting back to back boundaries off Shivam Mavi. He first hit a four over point region and then beautifully pulled a short ball for the same result. Bhoyar, too, tried to pace up the innings when he stepped out and hit Karan Chaudhary for a four through 

covers.

But a few overs later he perished to Shivam Sharma’s turning delivery. Vidarbha lost another wicket in Rohit Binkar who gave an easy catch at first slip to Madhav Kaushik off S Sharma.

Mokhade, meanwhile, continued to stay strong in the middle and added 23 runs with Kadam for the third wicket before the latter was trapped in front of the wicket by Tyagi.

Uttar Pradesh came back into the game taking the wicket of Samarth on the penultimate delivery of the day.

Malewar, Bhute rescue Vid but hosts fail to take lead

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

Jan 31, 2026

MISSING most of the season due to injury, Vidarbha middle-order batter Danish Malewar knew the importance of his wicket. Malewar, who got injured during last year’s Irani Cup Trophy, watched his team’s progress this Ranji season as he continued to recover. 

In their last league must-win match of Ranji Trophy against Uttar Pradesh, the 22-year-old batter bailed out defending champions from a precarious position on the second day here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium.

Along with seamer Nachiket Bhute (63), a not so recognised batter, the two pulled out Vidarbha from deep trouble putting up an important 126-run partnership for the seventh wicket. But after their departure, the tail did not wag as Vidarbha were bundled out for exactly 237, same as Uttar Pradesh’s total with pacer Shivam Mavi taking seven first innings wickets. 

In their second innings, Uttar Pradesh were 75-2 with captain Aryan Juyal (35) and Aditya Sharma (25) at the crease.

Resuming the second day at 33-0, Vidarbha were in all sorts of trouble losing six wickets for 103 runs in first session, with Mavi taking top five.

Malewar (80; 117b, 10x4, 1x6) and Bhute did the repair work. From finding gaps in the field to hitting occasional boundaries and sixes, the two started to take the game away from Uttar Pradesh’s grip. And as the tea break approached, both completed their well-deserved half centuries and put Vidarbha back into the reckoning.

Bhute eased out the pressure with three sixes and four boundaries in his third First Class half century. He completed his 50 with a crisp cover drive boundary off Kartik Yadav. This was after Malewar completed his ninth half century early in the day. 

Their partnership finally came to an end in the 59th over when Malewar gave a simple catch to Madhav Kaushik off Mavi who completed his fifer. Few overs later, it was a sad end for Bhute who got run out while going for the non-existent third run. Vidarbha were 233, still trailing by five runs. They could not take the lead and were bundled 

for 237.

In the morning, Vidarbha were bounced out by Mavi. The seamer extracted pace and enough bounce from the track to trouble the home batters. The two overnight batters -- Aman Mokhade (28) and Satyam Bhoyar (19) -- could not hold the fort for long. Mokhade poked one behind to keeper Aditya Sharma to ignite Vidarbha’s fall.

New-man Rohit Binkar never looked comfortable against Mavi. He was troubled by bouncers by the UP seamer who hit him on his helmet early. The batter finally perished to a short-pitched delivery giving a simple catch to stumper Sharma in the 21st over.

Vidarbha professional R Samarth failed to read the line of the ball and was castled first ball while shouldering arm the delivery. Mavi struck once again sending back Bhoyar caught behind off a bouncer in the 23rd over.

Later, Kartik Tyagi came from pavilion end and succeeded in getting the wicket of Yash Kadam (14) who completely missed the line to see his stumps shattered. Then came Malewar and Bhute who helped Vidarbha reach near the 237 score.