Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Bhargav Bhatt stars with 6-55 as Baroda beat defending champions Mumbai by 84 runs

Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt claimed 6-55 as Baroda stunned Mumbai by 84 runs in the first-round match of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Monday, October 14. Set a target of 262 to win the Elite Group A clash, Mumbai were bowled out for 177 in 48.2 overs.

The defending champions resumed their second innings on 42-2, with Ayush Mhatre unbeaten on 19 and skipper Ajinkya Rahane on 4. The latter was the first wicket to fall on Day 4, trapped lbw by Bhatt for 12. Mhatre also could not last long as he too was knocked over by the Baroda left-arm spinner for 22.

Shreyas Iyer (30) and Siddhesh Lad (59) added 41 for the fifth wicket. The stand, however, ended when Shreyas also perished to Bhatt. The Baroda spinner also got the scalps of all-rounders Shams Mulani (12) and Shardul Thakur (8) as Mumbai slipped to 137-8 in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 clash. Lad was the last man to be dismissed. His resistance ended when he was caught and bowled by Bhatt.

Bhatt, who had claimed 4-53 in the first innings, was named Player of the Match for his 10-wicket haul. Looking back at the game, Baroda won the toss and batted first. They posted 290 as Mitesh Patel top-scored with 86. Baroda's bowlers then held Mumbai to 214 as Bhatt claimed four and Akash Singh three.

A five-fer from Kotian and three wickets from Himanshu Singh saw Baroda being bowled out for 185 in their second innings as Mumbai made a strong comeback. Chasing 262, though, a strong batting line-up led by Rahane collapsed.

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Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Tamil Nadu hammer Saurashtra, Gujarat beat Hyderabad

Looking at some of the other results in round one of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, Tamil Nadu thumped Saurashtra by an innings and 70 runs in Coimbatore. Saurashtra was bundled out for 94 in their second innings as Gurjapneet Singh starred with 6-22 in the Group D match.

In Group C, Kerala got the better of Punjab by eight wickets in Thumba. Set to chase 158, Kerala got home courtesy of skipper Sachin Baby (56), Rohan Kunnummal (48), and Baba Aparajith (39*).

In a Group B match of Ranji Trophy 2024-25 in Nagpur, Vidarbha defeated Andhra by 74 runs. Aditya Thakare and Harsh Dubey claimed four scalps each as Andhra were bowled out for 243 after being set 318. In another match in the same group, Gujarat beat Hyderabad by 126 runs. Set to chase 297, Hyderabad were bowled out for 170 in the second innings.