Ranji Trophy – MP beat 8-time Champion Karnataka in Bengaluru:Andhra stun Vidarbha in Group A, big wins for Jharkhand Tamil Nadu; Maharashtra tops Group B

Madhya Pradesh produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat eight-time champions Karnataka by a massive 217 runs in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match. The win helped Madhya Pradesh move up to second place in the points table with 22 points, strengthening their chances of qualification. Karnataka, meanwhile, slipped from the top spot to third position with 21 points, making their road ahead tougher. Chasing a challenging target of 362 runs on the final day in Bengaluru, Karnataka, were bowled out for just 144 in their second innings. Madhya Pradesh spinners played a key role in the collapse, with Saransh Jain and Sagar Solanki taking three wickets each. Their disciplined bowling completely dismantled Karnataka’s batting line-up. Opener KV Aneesh showed resistance with a patient 57 off 142 balls, but he received little support from the rest of the batters. The absence of experienced batter Karun Nair proved costly for Karnataka. Nair did not come out to bat due to a cut between the fingers of his left hand. Nikin Jose came in as a concussion substitute and scored 26 runs, adding 61 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Gopal. However, Karnataka lost momentum after losing two quick wickets in the same over, triggering a collapse. Madhya Pradesh dominate with bat and ball Earlier in the match, Madhya Pradesh declared their second innings at 229/8 after resuming from 204/6 on the final day. Himanshu Mantri played a crucial knock of 96 runs, missing out narrowly on a century. In the first innings, Madhya Pradesh had posted 323 runs, with Venkatesh Iyer top-scoring with 87. Karnataka were bowled out for 191 in reply, giving Madhya Pradesh a healthy first-innings lead of 132 runs. Saransh Jain starred again with four wickets in that innings. Overall, Saransh Jain and Sagar Solanki combined to take six wickets in Karnataka’s second innings, completely breaking the backbone of the batting unit. Group B standings: Maharashtra on top Maharashtra finished at the top of Group B with 24 points after defeating Goa by eight wickets. Karnataka now face a must-win situation in their final league match against Punjab, starting January 29 in Mullanpur, to qualify for the knockout stage. Saurashtra, with 19 points, are also still in the race, keeping the group wide open. Andhra stun Vidarbha in Group A In Elite Group A, defending champions Vidarbha suffered a heavy eight-wicket defeat against Andhra Pradesh in Anantapur. Andhra chased down the target of 259 runs comfortably, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten century by Shaik Rasheed. Rasheed scored 132 not out off 144 balls, while captain Ricky Bhui supported him with an unbeaten 64 off 92 balls. Their 145-run partnership for the third wicket ended Vidarbha’s hopes of a comeback and took Andhra to the top of the Group A points table. Big wins for Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu In other Group A matches, Jharkhand crushed Uttar Pradesh by an innings and 301 runs in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh were bowled out for just 84 in their second innings. Saurabh Shekhar starred with the ball, claiming 5/16, while Jatin Pandey and Sahil Raj picked up two wickets each. Meanwhile, in Bhubaneswar, Tamil Nadu registered a convincing 207-run victory over Odisha, rounding off an action-packed round in the Ranji Trophy.