Ranji Trophy 2023/24: Vidarbha beat MP by 62 runs to set up mega final against Mumbai

Vidarbha beat Madhya Pradesh by 62 runs in the first semifinal of the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season to enter the final, where they will lock horns with Mumbai for the title. Vidarbha, led by Akshay Wadkar, went past their opposition in defence of 321 on Wednesday (March 6). In the second semifinal, Mumbai thrashed Tamil Nadu by an innings and 70 runs to enter their 48th Ranji final.

Vidarbha, who have won the title on two successive occasionsin the 2017-18 and 2018–19 editions of the championship, will now take on Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai as this becomes only the second timethat teams from the same state will meet in the Ranji final.

Talking about the first semifinal, Vidarbha opted to bat first and rode on Karun Nair's 63 to only manage 170 with MP's Avesh Khan claiming a four-fer. In reply, MP took an 82-run lead courtesy of keeper-opener Himanshu Mantri's 126. In their second innings, Vidarbha staged an epic comeback posting 402, and setting up a challenging 321-run target, after Yash Rathod's 141, Wadhar's 77 and Dhruv Shorey's 40. Anubhav Agarwal took a five-fer but MP conceded the momentum by letting the opposition post a target of over 300.

In the run-chase, the former champions had a chance at 195-4 but Akshay Wakhare and Yash Thakur's three scalps each dismissed them for 258. Following Vidarbha's 60-run win, they will now aim for their third Ranji title when they take the field against Mumbai who have won the championship on 41 occasions.