Vidarbha bat out Kerala in the final, clinch their third Ranji Trophy title

Vidarbha left nothing to chance as they batted for almost five sessions, driving home the advantage of a 37-run first innings lead to claim their third Ranji Trophy title on Sunday.

- HTC & Agencies

NAGPUR: Kerala, the first-time finalists, fought hard, but Vidarbha were rewarded for their hard work and discipline throughout a season in which they also finished runners-up in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kerala were left to rue what ended up being match-altering moments. Had skipper Sachin Baby not slog swept on 98 with the innings lead in sight on Day 3, the match could have had a very different conclusion. Dropping Karun Nair early on Day 4 after the hosts had lost two early wickets in the second innings also didn't help their cause. Vidarbha made those moments count, adding a third title after the final ended in a draw at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here.

After their back-to-back wins in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and last season's runners-up finish, Vidarbha established themselves as a domestic powerhouse.

The team under the captaincy of keeper Akshay Wadkar and head coach Usman Ghani produced dominant performances throughout this Ranji edition, which was, for the first time in its 90-year history, split into two halves. Vidarbha emerged the best team across the four Elite groups with six wins in seven matches, giving them 40 points. They carried that form into the knockouts.