Take on Goa at VCA Jamtha Stadium in third round of Ranji Trophy match
By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Oct 26, 2026
THE points table might look healthy with two wins from as many games but Vidarbha won’t be happy with their performance in the last game against Jammu and Kashmir, that’s for sure. To correct those follies from the previous game, the Akshay Wadkar-led side would take the field with more determination and aim for a polished performance when they meet a relatively easy opponent in Goa in the third round of their Elite Group ‘A’ Ranji Trophy match at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium starting Monday.
Despite recording wins in both the matches, Vidarbha are at third spot on points table which is being led by Uttar Pradesh (14 points) followed by Baroda (13).
To reach the top two before the red-ball break, Vidarbha need outright victories with bonus points in the next two outings.
To start with, they will have to decimate Goa and then take on Baroda at the same venue from November 2.
After pacers, led by Nachiket Bhute, starred in Srinagar, it will be the spinners once again who will be in focus when Vidarbha cross swords with Goa.
Initially the red soil pitch will assist the seamers but from Day 3 spinners will play a big role in the outcome of the match.
Leading the charge would be left-arm orthodox Harsh Dubey who has collected 10 wickets in the last two games.
Even though spinner Ganesh Bhosale is added to the Vidarbha squad, the thinktank, in all probability, may include Parth Rekhade in the team instead of Bhosale as the former can bat as well. The pace department will have Yash Thakur, Bhute, Praful Hinge, Darshan Nalkande and Rajneesh Gurbani and out of the five, two will have to take the bench. Thakur will be eager to get some game time under his belt before he leaves for New Zealand for One-Dayers. Gurbani would have doubled the headache of coach Usman Ghani and captain Wadkar with his match-saving knock of 64 runs against Jammu and Kashmir. Vidarbha had tried Nalkande in their opener against Pondicherry who was promoted in the batting order but without any success. Gurbani may get a chance in Nalkande’s place, if coach Ghani feels so.
Aman Mokhade and last match’s centurion Ravikumar Samarth might again open the innings as Vidarbha try to settle their top order.
The team will once again miss Yash Rathod who is on India A duty in New Zealand and has made a commendable unbeaten 44 in the first innings.
Danish Malewar’s bat is silent in the last two matches and it’s time he scores big in the coming games. Mandar Mahale had made a quiet debut against J&K but his match saving 25 in second innings might force the coach and captain to include him in the playing XI.
Dhruv Shorey makes himself an automatic choice in the XI with the experience he brings into the side. Captain Wadkar will man the middle order followed by Dubey, Rekhade who will be handy with the bat lower down the order.
As for a low-on-confidence Goa, it will be an uphill task for captain Abhinav Tej Rana to lift his side after two defeats.
The team is at the seventh spot in the eight-team table.
They lost their opener by an innings and 135 runs to Baroda and then were beaten by Uttar Pradesh by 68 runs.
Openers Suyash Prabhudessai and Shivendra Bhujbal will have to tackle the Vidarbha pace batteries early in the innings.
The Goan bowling department will be handled by Yash Kasvankar, Darshan Misal, Lalit Yadav, Amulya Pandrekar and Tejrana.
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We will aim for bonus point: Wadkar
By Paritosh Pramanik
THE two wins might have been satisfying but Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar believes the team now needs outright victories with bonus points in coming games.
Vidarbha will take on Goa in their third Elite Group ‘A’ Ranji Trophy match at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium from Monday.
Wadkar was happy with their last win over defending champions Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar where the pitch wasn’t batter friendly. “Srinagar wasn’t a batting friendly wicket (pitch). Both the teams lost wickets. But a win is a win and we have 12 points from two games now,” said Wadkar while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ on the eve of their match.
“Eventhough we are at the third place in points table but the positive thing is that we have beaten last year’s champions and that gives us confidence, going into the next matches,” added the skipper.
The wicketkeeper-batter said that the team’s morale is high after Srinagar win and they would now try for bonus points from the next two games before going into red-ball break.
“Our morale is high and we will now try to go for bonus point if we get a chance.
“Next two games are very crucial. We are in full momentum, we want to win both the matches outright. We won’t go for draws, especially against MP. Since the last four years we have not gone for a draw in any game. We have started playing an aggressive brand of cricket and we will continue. We have that kind of team. We have the best batters and best bowlers in the country. Four-five India A players, India players...why should we play defensive?,” Wadkar stated.
Wadkar said the pitch looks hard and would assist seamers in the first session.
“It looks like a friendly batting wicket. Two days it would help seamers in the morning session and then I think it would be easy for batters. From Day Three, spinners would get help from the strip,” felt Vidarbha captain.
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