Ranji Trophy Highlights, Day 5 Semifinal 2024: Vidarbha beats MP by 62 runs to book final spot vs Mumbai

On the pads from Wakhare and Khejroliya goes for a slog sweep. Decent connection. FOUR!! He tries another big hit next ball. But misses this time. 

But Khejroliya can’t keep Yash Thakur out. Played on. BOWLED!!

Kulwant Khejroliya b Yash Thakur 11 (19b 2x4 0x6)

A fantastic win for Vidarbha after conceding the first-innings lead. A superb performance with the bat, followed by an incisive charge with the ball seals the final spot for Vidarbha. 

Kulwant Khejroliya and Avesh Khan see off a couple of overs from Thakare and Yash Thakur. The MP pair also manage to sneak in a couple of streaky boundaries. 

Yash Thakur goes around the wicket and shapes one in past Saransh’s inside edge. BOWLED!!

Saransh Jain b Yash Thakur 25 (69b 2x4 0x6)

Avesh Khan is the new batter for Madhya Pradesh. Saransh Jain continues to hand over the strike to his lower order partners. Yash Thakur with the ball against Avesh. Drifting down the leg. Leg bye taken. Saransh adds another single to keep the strike. 

Thakare strikes again. Outside off stump and it jags back in, while keeping low. No chance for Anubhav Agarwal. Cleaned Up!

Anubhav Agarwal b Thakare 0 (6b 0x4 0x6)

MP’s hopes have fast reduced to the blade of Saransh Jain. The left-handed batter shows his trust in new batter Anubhav Agarwal by handing him the strike three balls into Sarvate’s over. Abubhav gets through the rest of the over unharmed. 

Thakare from the other end for Vidarbha. New batter Kumar Karthikeya on strike. Thakare keeps it straight and Kartikeya swipes across the line. BOWLED!!

Kumar Kartikeya b Thakare 0 (4b 0x4 0x6)

Saransh Jain and Kumar Karthikeya out in the middle as Madhya Pradesh looks to hunt down the last 93 runs. 

Aditya Sarvate with the ball for Vidarbha. 

Tamil Nadu’s 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season ended with a crushing innings-and-70-run defeat to Mumbai in the semifinals. Though the meek surrender left many disappointed, TN nonetheless will feel it had a good run in the premier competition after it finally broke a five-season drought of not even qualifying for the knockouts.

R. Sai Kishore’s men played an aggressive brand of cricket and got five outright wins from nine games, including three wins by an innings. The team maximised its strength in home conditions, with the senior batters piling on the runs while the spinners ran through batting line-ups as it bowled out its opposition twice in all games until the semifinal.

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Ranji Trophy 2023-24 semifinals: Vidarbha tightens grip over Madhya Pradesh, final day semifinal thriller in store

Gawali drew from his share of luck too, when his poke outside off against Thakur flew between second slip and gully, getting him to a 54-ball 50. But the bowler had the last laugh, inducing an edge to the wicketkeeper.