The Ranji Trophy tournament, which is considered to be India’s apex first-class cricket tournament, has for the longest time remained the bedrock of Indian cricket. The 2024-25 season, which is branded as the IDFC First Bank Ranji Trophy, started on October 11th, 2024 and will run until February 26th, 2025. The 90th edition of this tournament has faced some tough competition, great performances, and historic milestones which marks the change of the Indian domestic cricket.
Ranji Trophy: Tournament Structure and Format
In this season, there are 38 teams competing, divided into two categories: the Elite and Plate Groups. The Elite Group contains 32 teams, organized into four subdivisions, while the Plate Group has six teams consolidated into one subdivision. Every team competes with the other teams within the group, and the best performing teams go on to compete in the knockout round. This format guarantees that there is a deep evaluation of all teams and sustains a healthy level of competition throughout the season.
League Stage Highlights
During the league stage, some of the teams performed remarkably well. In Group A, Jammu and Kashmir came first with five wins and two draws, earning 35 points. Vidarbha led Group B, remaining untouched with six victories and one draw, bringing their points to 40. In Group C, Haryana triumphed with three wins alongside four draws. Furthermore, in Group D both Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu attained thirty-five points, with Saurashtra winning over them due to a better quotient. Goa took a Plate Group victory, beating Nagaland in the Plate Group final by 362 runs, having won all five of their other matches.
Knockout Phase and Semifinals
The knockout phase began from February 8, 2025, including four quarterfinals as follows:
Quarterfinal 1: Jammu and Kashmir vs.
Pune – Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium will host a match between Kerala and KCA on the 25th of November, 2022.
2nd Quarterfinal: Vidarbha and Tamil Nadu will go head to head at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground Nagpur on 7th of December, 2022.
3rd Quarterfinal: Haryana will battle with Mumbai at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 12th of December, 2022.
4th Quarterfinal: Saurashtra will take on Gujarat at Rajkot, located at Niranjan Shah Stadium, on December 20, 2022.
Jammu And Kashmir handed the first-innings lead to Kerala to put them through the semifinals along with Vidarbha, Mumbai, and Gujarat who had already advanced to the semis after winning their matches.
The varied and distinct features of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was filled with spectators on February 17, 2025, who came out to support both the teams in the first semifinal match. Kerala’s Mohammed Azharuddeen hit a blistering 177 runs, helping his team reach 457 runs in the first innings. This set them up to narrowly clinch victory after giving out just 455 runs, thanks to Priyank Panchal’s 148 runs. In these last range of games, Janji Trophy finals is within reach for kerela but an outright defeat will smash the opportunity.
Aimshi and Vishnu’s wonderful batting display helped Vidarbha reach 292 runs. However, Yash Rathod’s 151 runs made it easy setting the target of 406 runs for Mumbai. In the latest update on the ongoing match, Akash Anand’s brilliant knock means Mumbai are seeking to mash the target with the match on the verge of a thrilling end.
Individual Performances and Milestones
The trophies have been awarded for the most outstanding personal milestones.
Madhya Pradesh’s Shubham Sharma leads the run charts with an outstanding 943 runs at an average of more than 104. Tanmay Agarwal from Hyderabad and Yash Rathod from Vidarbha are also notable names who have surpassed the 900 mark, proving their brilliance time and again. In the bowling department, Harsh Dubey from Vidarbha is exceptional with 65 wickets at an average of 16.55, helping his team immensely.
Return of National Players
The tournament has marked the comeback of several national players for domestic fixtures to recapture form. Most prominent of them is the Mumbai based Rohit Sharma who has had a tough international season and joined his domestic squad after a long break. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant have also played for their state sides trying to get in the right shape for their international duties.
Ranji Trophy: Anticipation for the Final
There is growing excitement around the final set for February 26, 2025, as the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy gears toward its conclusion. Thought Kerala are in touching distance of reaching their historic first final appearance in the tournaments history and Vidarbha and Mumbai are now involved in an exciting tussle, cricket fans are eager to see who will emerge as the new king.
The Sony Ranji Trophy this time has not only revealed the amount of talent that exists in Indian cricket, but also highlighted the importance of the Ranjit Trophy as a stage for opportunity and excellence.
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