Pandit guided an unheralded Vidarbha side to second successive titles with a mix of strategic acumen and old school discipline.
Ajinkya Rahane (116 not out) and Ajit Agarkar (78) saved Mumbai the blushes with a 174-run partnership as the visitors reached a respectable 238 for five on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana in Rohtak.
Left-arm spinners Iqbal Abdulla and Harmeet Singh scalped four wickets each as Mumbai crawled back into the game, trailing Himachal Pradesh by just eight runs with 10 wickets and two days in hand on second day of their Super League Group A Ranji Trophy match.
A round-up of Ranji Trophy matches played on Tuesday.
The BCCI is considering advancing the Indian Premier League schedule to a March 10-May 15 window from next year to avoid extreme heat and pre-monsoon rains. This move aims to benefit players and fans, though the number of matches will remain at 74 due to international calendar constraints.
In a bizarre incident, the start of a Ranji Trophy match between Vidarbha and Andhra on Monday was delayed by a few minutes after a snake entered the ground in Vijaywada.
Mumbai and Karnataka will meet in the final of the Ranji Trophy. Both made the grade by virtue of the first innings lead in the semi-finals against Delhi and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
Stand-in skipper Virat Kohli led from the front with an unbeaten 88 as Delhi spanked Saurashtra by eight wickets to pocket five points from their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match at home on Friday. Chasing 160, the hosts cruised to 161 for 2 in 32 overs, with Kohli and Mithun Manhas (23) guiding them to victory.
Rohit Sharma held the Mumbai innings together with an unbeaten 94, as the defending champions took a vital 61-run lead after scoring 248 for eight in their first essay, on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match against Railways in Delhi on Wednesday.
Riding on fine performances from veteran Ajit Agarkar and left-arm spinners Iqbal Abdulla and Harmeet Singh, Mumbai staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Himachal Pradesh by 85 runs in a Group A Super League Ranji Trophy match in Mumbai on Friday. The hosts, who were bundled out for a paltry 162 in the first innings, thereby conceding an 84-run lead, dismissed Himachal for 166 in 67 overs, 13 minutes before tea, after setting the visitors a target of 252 to win.
Riding on a 103-run second wicket partnership between Ravi Inder Singh (58) and Uday T Kaul (62), Punjab salvaged a draw against Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy Super League group A match in Chandigarh.
Former Tripura Ranji Trophy player dies in road accident
Rookie medium pacer Sudeep Tyagi sliced through Orissa's batting capturing six wickets for 46 as the hosts crumbled for 216 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
The event at the MCA Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy, BKC will be attended by Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan and state minister Ashish Shelar, who will be the chief guest.
A summary of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Monday
First phase from Feb 10, knockouts from May 30.
Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan is all set to be back in action having recovered from a fractured left-thumb sustained during the second Test match against New Zealand at Kolkata in September.
Medium pacer Krishnakant Upadhyay's inspiring spell helped Railways restrict defending champions Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy match in New Delhi. A summary of the day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches.
Round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches being played in different part of the country
Jammu and Kashmir's historic Ranji Trophy win showcases a remarkable transformation in Indian cricket, fueled by Delhi's cricketing influence and strategic leadership.
Fixtures for the 2013-14 season.
The batter, who has played for Mizoram in Ranji Trophy, calls reports "fake and misleading" after his name appears on a PCB auction list.
Kalra was banned from Ranji Trophy as well as U-23 tournaments on a complaint filed by former Delhi captain Kirti Azad's faction, alleging that the left-handed opener has fudged his age since the U-16 level.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy semi-final matches played on Monday
Bengal's most potent match winner Ashok Dinda rose to the occasion when it mattered the most as his five-wicket burst ensured a 43-run win against Railways in a Ranji Trophy Group A league encounter in Dharamsala on Sunday. Needing 119 runs on the final day with five wickets in hand to reach a victory target of 315, Railways could manage 271 in 93.2 overs largely due to Dinda's 5/67. Bengal are now firmly on course for a knockout berth with 15 points in their kitty with two outright wins and three points by virtue of first innings lead in a drawn match.
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has defended Rishabh Pant after he was removed as India's Test vice-captain following a disappointing IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants. Kaif said Pant should not be judged on his IPL performances alone and insisted he remains India's biggest match-winner in Test cricket.
Round up of the Ranji Trophy matches being played across the country
Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who played vital role in helping Rajasthan win consecutive Ranji Trophy titles, has decided to join Himachal Pradesh for the upcoming domestic season.
Karnataka on Tuesday named internationals K L Rahul, Prasidh Krishna, and Karun Nair in the probables list for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
'The IPL provides a different ladder in terms of recognition.' 'If you do well, you will obviously get noticed and it enhances your selection into white-ball formats.'
Arjun Tendulkar and Siddhant Addhatrao are eligible for the T20 Mumbai League auction after representing different state associations last season. The auction is scheduled for May 2, with the tournament in June.
Selectors to consider Jasprit Bumrah's workload and Rohit Sharma's fitness when picking India's squads for the upcoming Test and ODI series against Afghanistan.
A round-up of the opening day action of various Ranji Trophy group league matches on Saturday.
Round-up of the Ranji Trophy games being played in different parts of the country
Defending champions Mumbai's Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Haryana has been shifted from Lahli to Kolkata by the BCCI due to potential fog concerns in the northern region. The match will be held at the Eden Gardens from February 8 to 12.
Tamil Nadu took less than 10 overs to complete the formalities and notch up an emphatic 104-run win over Maharashtra on the fourth and concluding day of their Group B Ranji Trophy match in Chennai on Tuesday.
Hosts Punjab put up a stellar show as they notched up their second successive bonus point as they thrashed a listless Bengal by an innings and 27 runs in a second round Ranji Trophy match in Mohali on Monday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the unofficial mentor to the Jharkhand cricket team, is set to watch his state side take on Gujarat in its first ever Ranji Trophy semi-final, starting in Nagpur on Sunday.
Mumbai crushed Saurashtra by an innings and 21 runs in the final to win their 41st Ranji Trophy title, in Pune, on Friday.
Jammu & Kashmir scripted history by beating the 40-time champions Mumbai in their first meeting in 80 years of the Ranji Trophy tournament at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
