Vidarbha secured an 80-run victory over defending champions Mumbai in a thrilling Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur, reaching their fourth final. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey starred with his seventh five-wicket haul of the season, taking his tally to 66 wickets, just two short of Ashutosh Aman’s record for most wickets in a Ranji season.
Mumbai’s chase faltered early on the final day as they slipped to 124 for 6, with Shivam Dube bowled by Yash Thakur and Suryakumar Yadav edging Dubey to the slips. However, Shardul Thakur, known for his fighting knocks, launched a counterattack alongside Shams Mulani. Their 103-run stand kept Mumbai in the hunt, forcing Vidarbha’s spinners to resort to a defensive leg-side line to curb Shardul’s aggression.
A crucial moment came when Danish Malewar’s direct hit ran out Mulani for 46, breaking the partnership. Shardul, sensing the need for quick runs, opened up but fell for 66 to a sharp in-ducker from Yash Thakur. Mumbai’s last-wicket pair of Mohit Awasthi and Royston Dias entertained with a 52-run stand before Dubey trapped Awasthi lbw on an audacious reverse sweep, sealing the win.
Vidarbha, who have won two of their three Ranji finals, will now face Kerala in the title clash.
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