It was a day of mixed results, with some teams winning comprehensively while others settled for draws in round four of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy.
Defending champions Mumbai and two-time winners Vidarbha achieved commanding wins, each inflicting innings defeats on their opponents. Meanwhile, seven-time champions Delhi endured a disappointing nine-wicket loss to Chandigarh.
Mumbai needed five wickets to secure victory against Odisha at the start of Day 4, and the spin duo of Shams Mulani and Himanshu Singh took nine wickets between them. Mulani claimed four on the day, achieving his second five-for of the match and finishing with impressive figures of 11/186 to help his team win by an innings and 102 runs. In Tanish Kotian’s absence, Himanshu stepped up superbly, providing strong support to the experienced Mulani.
In Nagpur, Harsh Dubey once again dismantled the Himachal Pradesh batting line-up, taking another five-for in the second innings as Vidarbha won by an innings and 88 runs. Ankit Kalsi, Akash Vasisht, and Mukul Negi put up a fight for Himachal, but 22-year-old Harsh, supported by Akshay Wakhare and Praful Hinge, proved too formidable on their home turf.
Needing 157 runs to secure a memorable win, Shivam Bhambri notched up a sizzling hundred, laced with six sixes and seven boundaries. His opening partner Arslan Khan scored a brilliant 68, taking his team to the brink of victory before skipper Manan Vohra came in to provide the finishing touches, as Chandigarh routed Delhi by nine wickets.
Bihar were bundled out for 347 at the start of the day and were asked to bat again. They suffered a horrendous collapse in their second innings, reduced to 58/5 by lunch. Sakibul Gani fought a lone battle, remaining unbeaten on 76, only to see his team collapse like a pack of cards. Kumar Kartikeya (4/40) and Kulwant Khejroliya (3/33) starred with the ball for MP in their victory by an innings and 108 runs.
Maharashtra’s skipper Ankit Bawane’s valiant effort went in vain as Pulkit Narang’s six-for in the second innings steered Services to a 35-run win. Bawane never gave up on the run chase but was left stranded at one end as Narang wiped out the tail to secure the win.
The game that went down to the wire was between Andhra and Uttarakhand. While Hanuma Vihari and KS Bharat were batting, it seemed like they would seal the deal for Andhra, but after their dismissals and with limited time remaining in the day, both teams decided to settle for a draw. Uttarakhand bagged three points thanks to the first-innings lead they secured.
In Bengaluru, the Karnataka versus Bengal match ended in a draw, with Bengal earning three points due to their first-innings lead. Chasing 353 runs in limited time, Karnataka faced a tough challenge, especially after losing two early wickets, including that of their captain Mayank Agarwal.
The Assam versus Tamil Nadu match similarly drew to a close with Assam taking three points for securing a first-innings lead. N Jagadeesan (118*) and Pradosh Ranjan Paul (68*) held firm against Assam’s bowlers, occupying the crease for most of the final day.
The match between Saurashtra and Jharkhand also ended in a draw, with Saurashtra earning three points due to their first-innings lead.