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Vidarbha Wins Ranji Trophy 2025 As Karun Nair’s Heroic Ton Hogs The Limelight

Aakash Saini

Vidarbha players after winning Ranji Trophy 2025 [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x]Vidarbha players after winning Ranji Trophy 2025 [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x]

The Vidarbha cricket team won the 2025 Ranji Trophy title by defeating Kerala on the basis of a first innings lead in the final at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Resuming the second innings on Day 5 at 249-4, Vidarbha batted 54 more overs on the day to extend its total to 375-9.

With a draw on the horizon, umpires officially called off play around the lunch session of the fifth afternoon, allowing Vidarbha to bag its third Ranji Trophy title in the past eight years.

Karun Nair tons up for Vidarbha in Ranji final

Vidarbha crushed Kerala’s Ranji dreams by winning the final of the 2025 edition of the tournament in Nagpur. Emboldened with a 37-run lead at the halfway stage of the match, Vidarbha batted 143.5 overs of the second innings to accrue 375-9 before captains from both sides agreed to a draw.

Senior man and discarded Indian star Karun Nair top scored for the victors by punching out 135 runs with 10 boundaries and two sixes from 295 deliveries. Darshan Nalkande at number nine also packed an unbeaten 51 off 98 balls, and top-order batter Danish Malewar made 73 from 162 after the early dismissals of both openers.

Earlier in the match, Vidarbha batted first and mounted 379 in 123 overs. Danish Malewar scored 153 of those runs by batting out 285 deliveries to top-score in the innings. Karun Nair also cracked a cautious 86 after his team slipped to 24-3 at one stage of the opening day’s morning session.

Later, Vidarbha bowlers Darshan Nalkande, Harsh Dubey and Parth Rekhade picked up three wickets each to fold up Kerala for 342 to enjoy a 37-run advantage.

Nonetheless, the outcome marks Vidarbha’s only third Ranji Trophy title, and their first since winning the 2018-19 edition of the tournament. The Kerala team, on the other hand, was playing in its first-ever Ranji final.