The semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy are going quite smoothly, with Kerala and Vidarbha punching above their weights. Mumbai’s star-studded batting took a massive hit against the 383-run total posted by Vidarbha in Nagpur. Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Ayush Mhatre all failed under pressure, continuing their irregular form. As for Kerala, they have batted quite vigorously, hammering 418/7 in the first two days. They are surely batting for a first-innings lead.
No Sanju Samson, no troubles for Kerala
Almost all the Kerala batters had great starts. On a placid Ahmedabad track, with a beaming sun and scorching heat, the Gujarat bowlers had a frustrating day. They finished day 1 at 206/4, with skipper Sachin Baby remaining unbeaten at 69. Gujarat had an incredible start on Day 2, with veteran Arzan Nagwaswalla claiming Baby’s wicket. But Mohammed Azharuddeen stuck and grinded it out.
Azharuddeen struck some beautiful blows and frustrated the host bowlers, smacking 17 boundaries. He eventually became the first-ever batter from Kerala to smack a hundred in a Ranji Trophy semi-final. Outstandingly, he faced over 300 balls, making over 15 runs or more against six different bowlers. Kerala has been without Sanju Samson and to be fair, his absence has not been felt. They beat J&K by a slender 1-run lead in the quarterfinal. Salman Nazir, who has been in great form, scored a fifty as well. As for Gujarat, Nagwaswalla has taken 3/64, while Ravi Bishnoi disappointed, taking just a solitary wicket in 30 overs.
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Mumbai in deep trouble, Suryakumar, Rahane fail
Vidarbha ended Day 1 at 308/5. Mumbai would’ve hoped to bundle them out before 350 but couldn’t. Some lower-order contributions took Vidarbha to 383, which now looks like a formidable total. Parth Rekhade, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner, struck massive blows as he dismissed the big 3 of Mumbai—Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube. Akash Anand, who has been playing over Hardik Tamore, was the only shining light for Mumbai. Anand is still unbeaten at 67 and would desperately need to forge a partnership with Tanush Kotian.
Shardul Thakur, who will play the County season for Essex this time, came out with a counter-attacking approach but he too fell for 37. Yash Thakur, who is a talented pacer, took 2/56. Mumbai trail by 195 runs and there is a massive probability for them to lose a first-innings lead.
Ranji Trophy semi-final Brief Scores after Day 2
| Match | Teams | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranji Trophy SF 1 | Gujarat vs Kerala | 418/7 | 177.0 |
| Ranji Trophy SF 2 | Vidarbha vs Mumbai | Vidarbha: 383 | 107.5 |
| Mumbai: 188/7 | 59.0 |
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