Harsh Dubey picked up five wickets as Vidarbha outclassed Mumbai by 80 runs to enter the Ranji Trophy final, in Nagpur, on Friday.
Former winners Vidarbha will rely on their red-hot form to stake claim for a title they last won over five years ago, while first-time finalists Kerala will be driven by grit when the two contrasting teams clash in the summit showdown for the 90th Ranji Trophy, starting in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Vidarbha, who have remained unbeaten in the premier domestic competition this season, qualified for the summit clash after a commanding 80-run win over defending champions Mumbai.
Vidarbha took a commanding 297-run lead against Tamil Nadu on Day 4 of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final on Monday.
Vidarbha head coach Usman Ghani lauded the young players for their performances in the team's third Ranji Trophy triumph.
Shreyas Iyer continued with his red-hot form, smashing a stroke-filled 233 to lead Mumbai to a massive 602/4 declared in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match against Odisha.
Aditya Thakare's impressive four-wicket haul left Tamil Nadu struggling at 159 for six after the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match against Vidarbha.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday.
Earlier, Akash Anand completed his second first-class century and shared a 69-run stand with Tanush Kotian (33) to lead Mumbai's recovery after they ended the second day at 188 for seven.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Monday
Vivrant Sharma and Abid Mushtaq made contrasting fifties in Jammu and Kashmir's four-wicket win over Tripura on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in Jammu on Friday.
Rajasthan's Mahipal Lomror put the IPL franchises on alert ahead of the mega auction with a sensational triple hundred comprising a staggering 13 sixes and 25 fours in their Ranji Trophy Group B match against Uttarakhand here on Thursday.
In Agartala, the Group A match between Mumbai and Tripura ended in a draw with the reigning champions earning three points by virtue of the first-innings lead.
Punjab, starting the penultimate day on 73/3 and needing 144 more runs, crumbled under pressure from Sindhu's relentless spin and Jayant Yadav's precise off-spin (3/35 in 10.4 overs), collapsing well before lunch and handing Haryana their second outright win in four matches.
A battle-hardened Vidarbha won't make it easy for 41-times Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final, starting on Sunday.
Ravi Shastri said that it was a touching moment for him to get bestowed with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.
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