Saurashtra completed a resounding nine wicket victory over Bengal on day 4 of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday 19 February. With the win, Saurashtra lifted his second Ranji Trophy title.
Bengal resumed their innings at 169/4, trailing Saurashtra by 61 runs. The hopes of the batsmen’s side rested firmly on skipper Manoj Tiwary and all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed. However, the latter was left without 27 after a horrible mix-up with his captain. Tiwary bowled a delivery to midwicket and ran two.
There was a great deal of confusion over the third run, with both batsmen stranded at one end. Jaydev Unadkat removed the bails when Bengal were five down for 194. Tiwary himself perished a couple of overs later, shoving a delivery from his counterpart to Gully. His innings ended with 68 of 154 balls and he had 10 fours.
Ranji’s second title in the last 3 years, add to that trophy Vijay Hazary this year as well. Saurashtra has become a domestic power. congratulations to @JUnadkatthe team and support staff 🏆🙌🏽👏🏽 #ranjitrofeo https://t.co/MggYdWVFiH
Abishek Porel (three) was next to go, pushing Chetan Sakariya straight into deep square leg. Akash Deep (one) got pinned lbw by some late inside move by Unadkat. The Saurashtra captain also cleaned out Akash Ghatak (four) and Ishan Porel (22) to finish on 6/85.
Bengal were bowled out for 241 in their second innings, leaving Saurashtra with a target of 12 to clinch the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy final. They lost to Jay Gohil to a golden duck, but completed the formalities in 2.4 overs.
“I love playing for Saurashtra; he is so close to my heart” -Jaydev Unadkat
Speaking after Saurashtra’s memorable triumph, the captain and player of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy final said he loves playing for Saurashtra because it gives him an adrenaline rush. In the post-match interaction, Unadkat commented:
“Championships are not won with one game. It’s a long season. We worked hard, we won Vijay Hazare. The guys have a lot of stability. They all stood up when the team needed them.”
“It’s not just about a couple of guys. Try to be smart in the preparations. We worked in areas where we had to. I love playing for Saurashtra; he is so close to my heart. I feel an adrenaline rush.”
An image to remember, Unadkat’s excitement when Saurashtra won the Ranji. https://t.co/cRrSsGHDe9
Arpit Vasavada was named Player of the Tournament for scoring 907 runs.
Ranji Trophy 2022-23 Final Brief Results
Saurashtra (404 & 1/14) beat Bengal (174 & 241) by 9 wickets: Jaydev Unadkat (3/44 & 6/85), Chetan Sakariya (3/33 & 3/76), Arpit Vasavada 81