Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh face off in Ranji Trophy Group A match
The match at VCA Jamtha Stadium carries significant implications for both sides' knockout qualification ambitions.
Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh will play a Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match at the VCA Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur beginning on Monday, according to Sportstar and The Hindu. The encounter holds significant implications for the knockout qualification chances of both teams.
Host Vidarbha leads the top four sides in Group A, having secured outright wins in all three matches played so far. In their last outing against Goa, Dhruv Shorey scored 168, while R. Samarth, Danish Malewar, and captain Akshay Wadkar all recorded half-centuries.
Vidarbha's bowling features Nachiket Bhute and Rajneesh Gurbani, while Harsh Dubey took four wickets on the final day against Goa. However, Yash Thakur will miss the match as he is in the India squad for the final two New Zealand ODIs.
Madhya Pradesh sits at the rear of the top four quartet after securing an outright win against Bihar in the last round. The team previously settled for draws in its first two matches due to poor weather despite claiming first-innings leads.
Rajat Patidar has scored two centuries in two innings for Madhya Pradesh, alongside runs from Shubham Sharma, Yash Dubey, Chanchal Rathore, and Saksham Purohit. Saransh Jain took 13 wickets against Bihar, while Avesh Khan has taken nine wickets in his first two matches since the 2024-25 season.
The two sides last met in the semifinals of the 2023-24 season. Securing points in this match will be crucial for both teams to maintain their qualification ambitions.