Irshad, Niyaz dazzle in Lanka

Captain Mirza, Rahim help Police Warriors win Premier Hockey League Sri Lanka 

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, December 2, 2025

CITY’S two hockey players dazzled on the blue turf of Colombo in Sri Lanka displaying their dribbling skills and winning the coveted trophy.

City’s two talented hockey stars — Niyaz Rahim, who has a distinction of leading the Indian Railways team to the podium on several occasions, and fiery striker Irshad Mirza — escorted Police Warriors to top in the recently concluded Premier Hockey League Sri Lanka 2025.

The second season of the franchise based eight-team league was played at Colombo and was organised by Sri Lanka Hockey Federation.

Irshad, who was captain of Police Warriors, led from the front to help his side remain unbeaten in the tournament and clinch the coveted title.

“Last year, I played for Air Force Skyhawks and missed the podium by a whisker finishing second. But this year, I was determined to go one step further. Leading Police Warriors I managed to win the title,” said Irshad after his return from the Lankan capital.

Irshad and Niyaz were the linchpin of their side and the two dazzled on the blue turf making waves of moves with their stunning speed and agility. Niyaz was named player of the tournament for his exploits in the midfield.

“It was a great tournament and the competition level was high. I am happy that I could contribute to the success of my team in winning the title,” said the midfielder Niyaz, who received a moped as a reward.

In the league round, Irshad’s Police Warriors won four matches and drew three to reach the semi-finals.

In the semis, they stunned Air Force 4-2 to book the final berth. Irshad was instrumental in giving his side the lead scoring the first goal of the semis match.

“We were declared winners after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island.

“Though the venue where the tournament was played was not much affected, the organisers decided to call off the tournament without the final match and we declared winners as we had maximum points after the completion of the league round,” said Irshad, who also plays for Central Railways headquarters hockey team.

With hockey developing in the island nation, Niyaz felt that more such tournament will make the Lankan team a team to beat in future.

“They are making progress. Such tournaments will give them exposure and would definitely help them in future. A proper coaching would help them qualify for Asian Games in future,” Niyaz concluded.

Vidarbha strengthen position at top with crushing win

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Nov 19

THE result was inevitable. The only question was when and not how.

Defending champions Vidarbha completed the formalities crushing Baroda by 144 runs on the fourth morning in their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Wednesday.

Resuming the day at a precarious 73-5 and needing 203 for a win, Baroda innings folded an hour before lunch in 18.4 overs on the final day to hand Vidarbha a huge victory. The crushing win put Vidarbha firmly on the top of Group A with 25 points. Vidarbha have recorded three outright wins and have taken first innings lead twice.

The performance of the team is praiseworthy as they came out all guns blazing after being shot out for 169 in first innings. The bowlers ripped Baroda apart as the hosts took a slender three runs first innings lead.

In their second innings, the batters showed maturity and played with purpose with Athrava Taide, Dhruv Shorey, man of the match Yash Rathod and Ravikumar Samarth all scoring runs to set a mammoth target of 276 runs for Baroda.

Darshan Nalkande then bowled a dream spell taking four wickets for seven runs on the third evening, breaking the back of Baroda. The visitors could not recover as Nalkande completed his First Class career’s first five-wicket haul taking the wicket of Ninad Rathva seven minutes into the fourth morning. The fast bowler thus became on second Vidarbha bowler after Umesh Yadav to take a fifer in Ranji, Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 27-year-old pacer, playing his 12th First Class match, bowled on the coin and forced overnight batter Rathva (10) to poke one to wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar who dived to his right to complete the catch. Debutant spinner Ganesh Bhosle then sent back a well-set Sukirt Pandey (37) on his first delivery of the day. 

The tweaker’s ball spun enough to get a faint edge from Pandey’s bat and landed in the safe gloves of Wadkar.

Baroda captain Atit Sheth (29*) and Raj Limbani (21) delayed Vidarbha’s celebration with a 50 runs eighth wicket partnership but Parth Rekhade broke the stand getting the latter caught by Samarth at square boundary.

Bhute wrapped it off taking the wickets of Mahesh Pithiya (5) and Bhargav Bhatt (0) in succession to complete the rout.

Deadly Nalkande rips Baroda apart

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Nov 19 

DARSHAN Nalkande bowled a deadly opening spell in the second innings to take Vidarbha closer to the doors of an outright victory against Baroda on the penultimate day of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match here at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a stiff target of 276, Baroda were 73 for five at stumps, still needing 203 runs for a shocking win. Table toppers Vidarbha, sitting in the driver’s seat, need only five wickets for an outright victory.

Sukirt Pandey (35) and left-handed batter Ninad Rathva (10) were occupying the stumps at the end of day’s play.

Nalkande devoured Baroda’s top order with pace and precision taking four wickets in his first five overs as Baroda reeled at 17-4. His first spell read 6-3-7-4. This included a staggering 32 dot balls.

The seamer, who did not get a wicket in first innings, trapped Baroda opener Shivalik Sharma in front in his second delivery. 

Jyotnil Singh’s bails flew in the air as Nalkande pitched the ball at the right length which the batter missed. Aman Mokhade then took a brilliant diving catch of Shashwat Rawat at gully to give Nalkande his third wicket. Baroda were in all sorts of trouble with only seven runs on the board. They panicked as Nalkande dictated terms.

Nalkande, after a quiet over, got his fourth scalp trapping Vishnu Solanki plumb in front as Baroda tumbled to 17 for four by the 10th over.

From the other end, seamer Nachiket Bhute kept pressure on the visiting team. He was unlucky as his deliveries missed the bat from a kissing distance.

Parth Rekhade took the fifth Baroda wicket when he got Mitesh Patel caught by Mokhade at slips for 16 runs.

Earlier, Yash Rathod continued his purple patch with another half century (91) as Vidarbha improved their batting performance scoring 272 runs. Rathod missed out on what could have been his third century of the season but along with Ravikumar Samarth, added 128 runs for the fourth wicket, to put Vidarbha in command.

Resuming the day at 126 for three, Rathod and Samarth made batting look easy on a deteriorating pitch.

Rathod, last season’s highest runs scorer in Ranji Trophy, looked determined to score another big one. The left-handed 25-year-old batter showed how to bat on a fourth innings track scoring his career’s 11th half-century as Vidarbha gained the upper hand. 

He got an able ally in Samarth who supported him to take Vidarbha to a position of strength. Samarth, picked runs through gaps even as Rathod mixed his batting with caution and aggression.

Samarth, who has scored two half centuries this season apart from a 49 in the first game against Nagaland, hit just one boundary in his 45 runs. Most of his runs came through singles pushed in gaps. Their 145 runs partnership put Vidarbha in control as Baroda bowlers toil hard in the morning session. But when it looked that Vidarbha would take lunch without losing any wicket Raj Limbani trapped Samarth in front of the wicket. At lunch Vidarbha were 231 for four taking their overall lead to 234. 

Rathod was unlucky not to complete his century after lunch as Shivalik Sharma caught him at forward short-leg off Bhargav Bhatt when the batter stepped out to push a single.

After Rathod’s departure at 243-5, Vidarbha lower order could muster only 29 runs to get all out for 272. Baroda captain Atit Sheth took a fifer, four of his wickets being of the tailenders.

Bowlers hand Vidarbha lead against Baroda

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Nov 18, 2025

VIDARBHA bowlers struck in unison and then the batters produced an improved performance on the second day to take a slender but an important first innings lead against Baroda in their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match here at Jamtha Stadium on Monday.

The defending champions struck in the morning session taking five wickets and then took just 47 minutes post lunch break to bundle Baroda out at 166, taking three runs lead.

The hosts then showed immense temperament to score 126 for three in the second innings to take an overall lead of 129 runs.

Opener Athrava Taide (40) and Dhruv Shorey (61) controlled most part of last session, adding 97 runs for the second wicket to help Vidarbha stretch the lead. Taide, who managed only five runs in the first innings, produced a much better stuff in the second essay. He and Shorey rotated the strike finding gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking. With the pitch deteriorating and shot playing becoming difficult, the two Vidarbha batters relied on singles and doubles to score their runs. The Vidarbha duo comfortably negotiated Baroda spinners Ninad Rathva and Mahesh Pithiya as well as pacers Raj Limbani and Atit Sheth.

After Taide’s departure, who was caught by wicketkeeper Mitesh Patel off Mahesh Pithiya, Shorey too was sent back by Atit Sheth in quick succession. Two quick wickets within a space of six deliveries did put some pressure on the hosts but Ravikumar Samarth (8) and Yash Rathod (15) saw the day without any more dent. Earlier, Vidarbha bowlers rose to the occasion in the morning with spinners Parth Rekhade and debutant Ganesh Bhosle sharing four wickets between them before lunch. Baroda had a cautious start as they scored 26 runs in the first hour. Vidarbha finally got success when Rekhade got overnight batter Jyotsnil Singh (36) trapped in front. Singh was lucky to be called back after he was trapped LBW in the seventh over of the day. The umpire overturned his own decision, after he realised that the batter had nicked it. Rekhade then got the wicket of Sukirt Pandey who failed to judge the low bounce as the ball rammed into his pads in front of the wicket.

Debutant Bhosle then took the centre stage as snared two wickets to put Vidarbha on top. The right-arm spinner, playing his first Ranji game, pitched a perfect delivery which spun enough to find the edge of Ninad Rathva’s (1) bat and wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar did the rest. The maiden Ranji wicket gave Bhosle enough confidence and he took another a few overs later. A relatively slower delivery did not bounce enough to hit Mithesh Patel’s (1) pads only to be adjudged LBW. Nachiket Bhute, who had taken both the wickets on the first day, sent back Baroda captain Sheth caught by Wadkar as Baroda went into lunch at 131 for seven, still trailing by 37 runs.

Post break, Rekhade got Mahesh Pithiya’s brilliantly caught by Shorey in slip while Bhosle got rid of Raj Limbani who was again snapped by an agile Shorey in leg slip. Praful Hinge completed the formalities taking the last wicket of Bhargava Bhatt.

Vishu Solanki was the lone warrior for Baroda with an unbeaten 59 which had two sixes and five boundaries.

Three Vidarbha cricketers retained by IPL franchises

Special Correspondent

NAGPUR, Nov 17, 2025

THREE Vidarbha cricketers have been retained by the Indian Premier League franchises for the coming season. 

Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur was retained by Punjab Kings while Sunrisers Hyderabad showed faith in spinner Harsh Dubey. Similarly, hard-hitting batter Shubham Dubey too was retained by Rajasthan Royals for another season.

Jitesh Sharma, who left Vidarbha for Baroda this season, was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Jitesh has been an integral part of RCB which won their maiden IPL title last season.

Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur have shown immense talent in the domestic circuit and were rewarded for their consistency with India A berths. Both are at present playing for India A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 Tournament in Doha, Qatar. Harsh was picked by SRH last season as a replacement player for Ravichandran Smaran. The left-arm spinner made an immediate impact in the three matches he played as he took as many wickets including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli.

This will be the fourth season for Yash Thakur who made his IPL debut in 2023 for Lucknow Super Giants. Thakur has a record against his name of being the only bowler to take five wickets in IPL against Gujarat Giants in 2024.

Rajasthan Royals has shown faith in Shubham Dubey once again retaining him for another season. The hard-hitting left-handed batter has shown his talent in whatever opportunity he got in the last couple of seasons.

Baroda take Day One honours

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, Nov 17, 2025

BARODA left-arm spinner Ninad Rathva claimed his career’s sixth five-wicket haul to help his side take Day One honours against Vidarbha in the Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at Jamtha Stadium on Sunday.

Rathva’s fifer saw Vidarbha crumble for 169 in just 58 overs on their home turf. Barring Yash Rathod (42*), who fell short of partners and Aman Mokhade (37), none other Vidarbha batter could stay put in the middle.

At stumps, Baroda were 70 for two still trailing by 99 runs.

Vidarbha got the wicket of Shashwat Rawat on the penultimate delivery of the day when Nachiket Bhute bowled a bouncer which the batter tried to pull only to edge it to wicketkeeper Akshay Wadkar. Bhute gave Vidarbha breakthrough in the fifth over of their innings trapping opener Shivalik Sharma in front.

Jyotsnil Singh (27) and Shashwat Rawat (33) had added 59 runs for the second wicket. 

Singh, who got hit on his helmet in the morning and was taken to hospital for scans, batted well with Rawat as they frustrated Vidarbha bowlers.

Rawat was lucky to get three lives during his 118-minute stay in the middle. Early in the innings, Darshan Nalkande got Rawat’s furniture disturbed, when he was on 12, but the bowler overstepped for a no-ball. A few overs later, Mokhade dropped him at slips and then substitute Yash Kadam spilled another in the slip cordon when the batter was on 19.

Earlier, the visitors put up a dominant show as the home side lost their top four batters in the first session itself. They could not improve their performance any further in the afternoon session and were all out 20 minutes before scheduled tea break.

Rathva (47-5), playing his 17th First Class match, spun the web around Vidarbha batters to take a fifer. He mixed his deliveries well as he trapped four batters in front of the wicket after claiming the prized scalp of Mokhade caught by wicketkeeper Mitesh Patel.

Patel took five catches in the first innings, from which four came from pacers Atit Sheth (25-2) and Raj Limbani (27-2).

Baroda bowlers were all over Vidarbha and pushed them back to the wall.

The hosts were dealt with an early blow when an out-of-form opener Atharva Taide nicked back to wicketkeeper Patel in the sixth over of the day. Limbani maintained a beautiful line and forced Taide to play the shot only to see his bat kissing the ball.

Parth Rekhade (20), promoted up the order, did manage to consume a few deliveries (36 balls) and along with Aman Mokhade added 46 runs for the second wicket, the highest of Vidarbha’s innings. 

He tried to overpower Baroda bowlers with a couple of boundaries and a six off a pull shot but his entertaining innings too came to an end when captain Atit Sheth got him caught behind.

Ravikumar Samarth, playing his 100th First Class match, could not make much of an impact as he flashed an away going delivery back to keeper Patel off Limbani, giving the bowler his second wicket before lunch.

Mokhade tried to hold one end and was looking in great touch hitting a six and a couple of boundaries but Baroda spinner Rathva spun a delivery which bounced enough to find the batter’s edge and Patel once again gathered a beautiful catch behind the stumps.

Vidarbha professional Dhruv Shorey too tried to hold the fort hitting three crisp boundaries but his 68-ball stay in the middle was cut short by rival 

captain Sheth.

Rathod, last season’s highest run scorer of the tournament, was the only bright spot of the day for Vidarbha with a patient unbeaten 40 but was left stranded with wickets falling around him. 

The left-handed batter and Nalkande (20) put up 28 runs for the seventh wicket which took Vidarbha’s score past the 150-run mark.

Vid face Baroda challenge

By Paritosh Pramanik

Nov 16, 2025

THE cool November breeze might have brought the temperature down by a few degree Celsius here in Nagpur but come Sunday, the intensity will be on high from Vidarbha cricketers when they lock horns with Baroda in the fifth round of their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy match at VCA's Jamtha Stadium.

The reigning champions Vidarbha are sitting on the top of Group A with 19 points in the bag. The team is on a roll with two wins and as many draws. Against Baroda, the Akshay Wadkar-led side will aim to continue their aggressive style of play and go for another outright win before the tournament takes a break for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The three-time Ranji champions’ batting looks solid with Aman Mokhade being in rich form clobbering three hundreds and a half century from four games. 

The right-handed opener single-handedly gave Vidarbha the start they needed to put pressure on their opponents. Professionals Dhruv Shorey and R Samarth have shown their immense talent and are manning the middle order along with run-machine Yash Rathod and captain Wadkar. The only worry for Vidarbha camp is the form of opener Atharva Taide who, after hitting a match-winning century in Irani Cup, could not muster a reasonable score. In the last three games Taide could score 18, 31, 1, 12. He will have to bounce back against Baroda and go into Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament with runs under his belt.

The bowling department has done pretty well without two premier bowlers Yash Thakur and Harsh Dubey who are with India ‘A’ squad playing in the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha.

Pacers Nachiket Bhute, Praful Hinge, Darshan Nalkande, Lalit Yadav and spinners Parth Rekhade and Gaurav Farde have shown immense talent against Odisha and would love to continue their rich form at home.

For Baroda, who are at the fifth position with nine points, this match would be an important one for them going ahead in the competition.

They started well with a seven-wicket win over Odisha but then managed two draws and one of their matches was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Their batting will be spearheaded by Shaswat Rawat. The other batters include, Mitesh Patel, Shivalik Sharma who all have centuries under their belts. The bowling department will be led by Atit Sheth, Rasik Salam, Bhargav Bhatt and Mahesh Pittiya who would try to put Vidarbha batters under pressure in their home.

The home team had long nets on the eve of the match and all looked in good nick during the training session.

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Did hosts get track of their liking?

n By Paritosh Pramanik

The pitch, used during the Irani Cup match, will be utilised for Vidarbha-Baroda encounter starting Sunday. 

Playing on that track, Vidarbha had defeated Rest of India by 93 runs to claim their third Irani Cup title in October.

Whether Vidarbha wanted to play on the same track is a big question, if one goes by the interaction between BCCI’s neutral curator Rakesh Kumar and Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani.

Ghani and captain Akshay Wadkar had a long look at the 22-yard strip on the eve of the match. The two were in the middle for nearly an hour. Later, an animated discussion took place between Rakesh Kumar from Chandigarh and Ghani with VCA curator Abhijeet Piprode also joining them beside the match track. 

Going by the way the discussion took place, it seemed that Vidarbha team management was unhappy with the track. Neutral curator was seen trying to give an explanation about the way the track was prepared.

“It will be the same track on which the Irani Cup was played in October. It is a good strip which will assist both, the spinners as well as the pacers,” was all Vidarbha coach Ghani had to say. Captain Wadkar said that the pitch might get ease out in later part of the game. “It is a good pitch. I think it will get better as the game progresses,” he said, without delving into what transpired in the middle with the curator.

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