Ranji Trophy 2026/27: Vidarbha beats Goa by an innings and 27 runs to claim bonus point
File picture: Harsh Dubey hastened Goa’s collapse with a four-wicket haul. | Photo Credit: PTI
File picture: Harsh Dubey hastened Goa’s collapse with a four-wicket haul. | Photo Credit: PTI
Harsh Dubey picked up four wickets as Vidarbha secured a valuable bonus point with an innings-and-27-run victory over Goa in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
The host’s charge towards victory was briefly stalled by a fighting knock from Manthan Khutkar (70, 160b, 4x4, 5x6), but India international Dubey struck four times after Lunch to seal the win.
Vidarbha thought it had claimed the first of the nine wickets it needed just two balls into the day when Rajneesh Gurbani hit Khutkar on the pad. However, the standing umpire’s not-out decision gave Khutkar and captain Abhinav Tejrana the chance to pick up where they had left off the previous evening.
The duo resolutely defended against the opening spell from Gurbani and Nachiket Bhute, adding just seven runs in the first eight overs while offering the host precious little to exploit.
Their resistance ended immediately after the first bowling change, as Yash Thakur snaked his way through Tejrana’s defence to rearrange his stumps. Snehal Kaunitkar managed merely a single to avoid a pair before he, too, returned to the dressing room, adjudged caught behind off Gurbani.
Lalit Yadav joined Khutkar at the crease, and the duo initially stuck to its defensive approach until the latter launched Bhute for six with a sweep over backward square-leg. Khutkar also took a liking to the left-arm spin of Parth Rekhade, picking him up over the leg side for three massive sixes.
Together, they brought the deficit below 100 runs, with Lalit joining in the power-hitting by carting Aman Mokhade over midwicket. Curiously, Vidarbha waited 27 overs before introducing Dubey, by which time Rekhade and Mokhade had bowled eight overs. When Dubey finally came on, Khutkar smoked him for six off his second ball.
However, their hopes of survival suffered a blow when Lalit’s attempted defence ballooned off the outside edge into the hands of short leg just before Lunch.
After the break, Dubey broke the game open with two wickets in the space of four balls. The left-arm spinner used his turn into the southpaws to induce glances from Khutkar and first-innings half-centurion Yash Kasvankar, both of whom offered catches to R. Samarth at leg slip.
Soon after, Kasvankar’s first-innings partner Darshan Misal departed, caught behind while attempting to cut Aman Mokhade. Misal’s dismissal brought the right-handed Shivendra Bhujbal and Ruthvik Naik together, and Dubey responded by going around the wicket in search of the rough.
However, he made the telling breakthrough only after reverting to his original strategy. He first trapped Ruthvik in front with one that went on with the arm, then deceived Vasuki Koushik into edging the next ball to slip, though the veteran seamer indicated that it had come off his arm.
With defeat imminent, Shivendra Bhujbal managed to land a couple of lusty blows, but a communication error with Shubam Tari saw the latter become the final player dismissed, sealing a comfortable victory for the home side.
The scores
Goa – 1st innings: 220 all out.
Vidarbha – 1st innings: 442 for eight.
Goa – 2nd innings: Suyash Prabhudessai lbw Bhute 6, Manthan Khutkar c Samarth b Harsh 70, Abhinav Tejrana b Yash 14, Snehal Kauthankar c Wadkar b Gurbani 1, Lalit Yadav c Bhoye b Rekhade 26, Shivendra Bhujbal (batting), Yash Kasvankar c Samarth b Harsh 0, Darshan Misal c Wadkar b Mokhade, Ruthvik Naik lbw Harsh 15, Vasuki Koushik c Samarth b Harsh, Shubam Tari run out 0; Extras (lb-1, wd-2); 3; (for in 76 overs): 195.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-48, 3-49, 4-122, 5-128, 6-128, 7-145, 8-177, 9-177.
Vidarbha bowling: Nachiket Bhute 10-3-19-1, Harsh Dubey 19-6-38-4, Yash Thakur 11-2-20-1, Parth Rekhade 16-5-54-1, Rajneesh Gurbani 11-4-20-1, Aman Mokhade 9-1-33-1.
Toss: Vidarbha.
Published on Oct 29, 2026
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