Madhya Pradesh won their first Ranji Trophy trophy two years ago today, defeating Mumbai in Bangalore
On this day, two years ago, Madhya Pradesh (MP) made history by clinching their maiden Ranji Trophy title with an impressive six-wicket victory over Mumbai at Bengaluru's iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. This triumph marked a significant milestone in Madhya Pradesh's cricketing journey and showcased their resilience and skill on the grand stage of Indian domestic cricket.
With its storied history in the Ranji Trophy, Mumbai faced off against a determined Madhya Pradesh side led by captain Aditya Shrivastava and coached by the experienced Chandrakant Pandit. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for its electrifying atmosphere and historic moments in Indian cricket, provided the perfect setting for this enthralling contest.
Madhya Pradesh players are in between overs.
Madhya Pradesh etched its name in the record books by clinching its first Ranji Trophy title with a six-wicket victory over Mumbai. Chasing a target of 108 runs in the final, the team reached the milestone while losing four wickets, completing the second innings in 29.5 overs. This historic win marked a significant achievement for Madhya Pradesh, cementing their place in Indian domestic cricket history.
After Mumbai scored 269 in their second inning, Aditya Shrivastava's team needed to play smart. However, as is familiar with small targets, early jitters appeared when Dhawal Kulkarni bowled Yash Dubey. Mumbai captain Prithvi Shaw changed his bowlers frequently, while Himanshu Mantri and 'Man of the Match' Shubham Sharma built a crucial 52-run stand for the second wicket, setting the chase on track. Mantri fell trying to sweep Shams Mulani, but the tension eased again when Sharma hit a six off the same bowler, steering Madhya Pradesh closer to their historic win.
Rajat Patidar raises his bat to celebrate his eighth first-class century
Next, Parth Sahani was caught in the deep, leaving Madhya Pradesh at 66 for three. Rajat Patidar then stepped in, and despite a run-out scare with Shubham Sharma, the pair settled down and pushed forward. Patidar's elegant shots against Mohit Avasthi delighted the crowd. Although Sharma eventually got out, the moment of triumph was near. Madhya Pradesh's players joyfully stormed the field to celebrate their historic win, lifting their coach, Chandrakant Pandit, onto their shoulders in a triumphant display.
Resuming at 113 for two overnight, Mumbai aimed for quick runs while Madhya Pradesh bowlers focused on containment. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya targeted the leg-stump with six fielders positioned on the on-side, while seamer Gaurav Yadav bowled wide outside off-stump. Despite these tactics, Mumbai's batters hustled, with Suved Parkar sweeping Kartikeya and Armaan Jaffer driving towards sweeper-cover. In an unfortunate incident, two fielders, Shrivastava and Sharma, collided and fell in agony. Controversially, the Mumbai batters continued running even as Sharma remained in visible pain. Fortunately, the fielders eventually recovered, although Sharma's discomfort was evident.
Parkar then lofted Yadav for a six, but Yadav had his moment of respite when he deceived Jaffer with a slower delivery, bowling him as Jaffer moved too far across. Sarfaraz Khan stepped in, and when he took a single off Yadav in the 32nd over, Mumbai moved to 163 for three, erasing the deficit. Celebrating the milestone, Sarfaraz struck a four and a six off left-arm spinner Sahani.
Meanwhile, Parkar reached his 50 but was dismissed when he attempted a cut off Kartikeya, only to see the ball hit the stumps. In the same over, Yashasvi Jaiswal miscued a lofted shot, leading to his downfall. Sarfaraz and the new batsman, Mulani, tried to settle in, but a run-out disrupted their plans. Mulani departed, followed by Sarfaraz, who picked out a fielder on the boundary, giving debutant Sahani his maiden wicket. The wickets continued to fall, leaving Madhya Pradesh with a fourth-inning chase, which they successfully executed.
