Ahmedabad, Feb 21 In a remarkable turn of events, Kerala's senior cricket team, devoid of big names, restricted Gujarat to two runs short of Kerala’s first-innings total of 457, thereby stand on the cusp of securing its first-ever Ranji Trophy final berth.
This historic feat came just days after they secured a one-run first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir in the quarterfinals held in Pune earlier this month.
Following their entry into the semifinals for only the second time, the final day of the semifinal match on Friday was precariously poised for both Kerala and Gujarat. Gujarat needed 28 runs with three wickets remaining to advance to the final based on the first-innings total. However, Kerala will end up on the winning side by taking the 10th Gujarat wicket, falling two runs short of Kerala's first innings total.
Notably, Kerala's current team did not feature the popular national star Sanju Samson but benefited from the presence of two out-of-state players, as per the current rules allowing such inclusions.
Kerala's team boasts two such players - Jalaj Saxena from Madhya Pradesh, a seasoned campaigner who has been instrumental with his all-round contributions. Saxena’s 67 in the first innings of the quarterfinal was crucial, and in the semifinal, he took four vital wickets in a marathon bowling effort of 71 overs out of Gujarat’s 174.4 overs.
The other key player, Aditya Sarwate from Nagpur, bowls slow left-arm and took four wickets in 45 overs, including the final wicket of Arzan Nagwaswalla, ensuring Kerala's place in the final.
Historically, only three Keralites have played Test cricket for India -- Tinu Yohanan, S Sreesanth and Abey Kuruvilla. However, Kuruvilla played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, making this achievement by Kerala’s team even more significant.
Former Kerala Ranji captain and South Zone player in the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy (1982-83), Ranjit Thomas, expressed immense pride and attributed this success to the tremendous effort, commitment, and dedication of the players, the BCCI, and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).
“Thanks to the BCCI for sharing essential funds among member states, which paved the way for the 'cricket revolution'. Players received state-of-the-art infrastructure developed by the KCA, helping them perform well and secure good jobs. The introduction of various cricket formats also provided tremendous exposure to the players. Now, I hope Kerala will lift the Ranji Trophy,” said Thomas, now a retired banker who remains keenly associated with cricket.
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