What happened at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday was absolute cinema for cricket lovers. The hosts, Gujarat, showed resilience and were on course to reach the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 finals. However, they fell short by the barest of margins, as Kerala is now virtually in the finals, or rather, they have one foot already there.
The hosts were left stunned after their hopes of securing a first-innings lead in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Kerala were dashed. However, since the match is still not over, the confirmation of Kerala’s place in the finals remains the talk of the town.
Take a look at what the First-Class competition rules say and also check out what all important events have happened in the Gujarat vs Kerala Ranji Trophy semifinal so far.
How did Kerala reach the Ranji Trophy final?
Since the match is still ongoing and heading towards a draw, it is attracting significant attention. However, the widespread declaration of Kerala reaching the finals is primarily due to their dramatic two-run lead.
After batting for more than two days, Kerala posted a massive total of 457 runs. When Gujarat came to bat, they batted throughout Day 4 and well into Day 5. As they neared Kerala’s total, something unusual happened. Gujarat was at 455, needing just three runs to take the lead or two runs to level the scores. At this moment, Arzan Nagwaswalla attempted a slog sweep against Aditya Sarvate, but the ball couldn’t get past Salman Nizar, who was positioned at silly point. The ball deflected off Nizar’s helmet and lobbed to Kerala skipper Sachin Baby at first slip. Baby made no mistake in completing the catch, and as a result, Gujarat was bundled out for 455 runs. This meant Kerala secured a two-run lead. They are still batting but are virtually through to the finals. But how?
So, according to the BCCI rule book for domestic matches, specifically multi-day games, if a knockout match ends in a draw, the team with the first-innings lead advances to the next round. Since Kerala holds the first-innings lead, they are virtually in the finals.
What if both teams finish with the same first-innings total?
If we dismiss the first scenario where a team reaches the final by dismissing the opponent before they take the lead, we can consider what happens if both teams finish with the same first-innings total. In this case, several criteria come into play to determine the winner.
First, the team with more points in the league stage advances. If the points are equal, bonus points are considered. If all these factors remain identical, the head-to-head result from the league stage, if both teams have faced each other, is taken into account.
Interestingly, if a winner is still not determined, the team with the higher run quotient up to the previous game, including the league phase, progresses. If none of these criteria resolve the outcome, luck plays a role, as the final decision is made by a coin toss in the presence of the match referee or umpires.
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