Ranji Trophy: Kerala on the brink of final after edging Gujarat by two runs

Kerala and Gujarat faced off in a nail-biting Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was a tense match, full of drama and emotions running high. On the final morning, Kerala finally sealed a hard-fought victory.

Needing just 28 runs but with only three wickets left, the experienced duo of Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarvate stayed calm under pressure. They adjusted their shots wisely, guiding their team to a historic win. It was a great victory for Kerala, creating a memorable moment in their cricket history. This win secured Kerala’s place in the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in 74 years, marking a proud moment since their debut in the tournament back in 1951-52.

1⃣ wicket in hand
2⃣ runs to equal scores
3⃣ runs to secure a crucial First-Innings Lead

Joy. Despair. Emotions. Absolute Drama! 😮

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/kisimA9o9w#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank | #GUJvKER | #SF1 pic.twitter.com/LgTkVfRH7q

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 21, 2025

Kerala’s Journey to the Final

Kerala, playing their 352nd Ranji match, showed great determination under coach Amay Khurasiya and captain Sachin Baby to reach their first-ever final. They managed to hold off Gujarat’s late fightback while chasing a big first-innings total of 457. By taking a narrow two-run lead by the middle of the final day, Kerala all but confirmed their place in the final, where they are likely to face Vidarbha.

Kerala's most nerve-wracking moment of the season came down to just one run. The same single run that Salman Nizar and Nidheesh MD had managed in Pune last week. With qualification close, No. 10 batter Arzan Nagwaswalla attempted a big slog-sweep. But in a dramatic twist, the ball struck their key batter Salman Nizar on the head at a silly point before landing straight into the hands of captain Sachin Baby at first slip sealing the game most unexpectedly.

Jaymeet Patel and Siddharth Desai stood strong against Kerala’s spinners on the fourth day evening, showing solid defense and smart running between the wickets. However, as the pressure kept building, their resolve began to weaken.

After building a chanceless knock throughout on the might of singles, Jaymeet stepped into a reckless zone when he advanced to a loopy Sarvate delivery and chopped the ball to Baby who let a regulation catch off the hooks at cover. Moments later, Jaymeet lunged a touch forward, only to leave a track for wicket-keeper Mohammed Azharuddeen to pursue. Beaten outside off, Azharuddeen’s nimble collection and flick stumped Jaymeet with his backfoot on the line of the crease. An animated Kerala dugout soon emerged on the sidelines with hope reposted with a struggling Sarvate regaining composure.

Switching ends, the left-arm spinner quickly fired one into Desai’s pads, and the ball popped up to a silly point. The umpire wasted no time in raising his finger for a catch. Desai, however, breathed a sigh of relief when the DRS showed no edge. But just when he thought he was safe, the TV umpire, Sudarshan Kumar, spotted another twist his feet were right in line with the stumps. Three reds on the screen, and just like that, his gritty 164-ball knock came to an end, agonizingly close to the finish line, just 11 runs away.

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