Vidarbha, the Ranji Trophy champions, is still in a good run in the Irani Cup 2025, and after 2 days, they ended well ahead in the contest with Rest of India (ROI) at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. Resuming the day at 280/5, Vidarbha were all out to 342 runs, and they lost five wickets in amassing 61 further runs in the morning. Overall, they have batted 101.4 overs in both innings.
Overnight centurion Atharva Taide was only able to contribute 25 runs to Wednesday’s score of 118, but finished with 143 before getting dismissed. Yash Rathod also played a significant part in it and scored 91 runs out of 153 balls.
ROI’s Struggles Continue
In response, the Rest of India struggled to score runs. They finished Day 2 with a total of 142 for the loss of five wickets in 53 overs, still 200 runs behind Vidarbha. Their top scorer was the opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made 52 runs, while Rajat Patidar, the captain, was not out at 42. When the umpires decided to call stumps early after looking at the light, Manav Suthar was also at the crease (1*).
The morning session saw the ROI score just a measly 20 runs from 10 overs, with Easwaran and Aryan Juyal at the crease by lunch. Also, immediately after lunch, the openers scored 52 runs, where Juyal was out for 23 off 63 balls to Parth Rekhade. The second out was soon after, Yash Dhull was knocked out for 11 runs off 12 balls from Harsh Dubey. The tea score was 94 for 2 and trailing by 248 runs. The final mauled session allowed for 48 runs scored before play was ended due to bad light.
Vidarbha’s Bowling Dominance
Parth Rekhade was the top bowler for Vidarbha, claiming 2/24. Harsh Dubey, Darshan Nalkande, and Yash Thakur also picked up a wicket, while all continuously applied significant pressure on the batsmen from ROI. It was the final session where three vital wickets fell: Easwaran (52), Ruturaj Gaikwad (9), and Ishan Kishan (1) gave Vidarbha a significant edge.
Through an effective showcase of discipline, Vidarbha was able to catch the pressure around the wicket and put themselves in a very strong position. Additionally, the contributions from the lower order to build partnerships and their field placements gave Vidarbha further control of the match.
SUGGESTED READ: Atharva Taide Unbeaten Century | Irani Cup 2025
Key Performances
- Vidarbha Batting: Atharva Taide scored 143 runs, while Yash Rathod contributed with 91 runs.
- ROI Batting: Abhimanyu Easwaran made 52 runs, and Rajat Patidar remained not out at 42.
- Vidarbha Bowling: Parth Rekhade took 2 wickets for 24 runs, followed by Harsh Dubey, Darshan Nalkande, and Yash Thakur, each claiming one wicket.
- ROI Bowling: Akash Deep recorded figures of 2 wickets for 35 runs, and Manav Suthar achieved 3 wickets for 64 runs.
Day 3 Outlook
Day 3 would perhaps be the determinant of the match, with ROI trailing by 200 runs, Patidar and Suthar will have to stabilize the innings and form partnerships to pull off the deficit. Vidarbha will also be seeking an early breakthrough to keep the momentum and even look for a possible follow-on.
The Irani Cup 2025 has again shown the depth that Vidarbha has in batting and bowling – the current Ranji Trophy winners – and answered a major question on Day 2 of why they are the Ranji Trophy champions. This strong showing on Day 2 puts Vidarbha in a commanding position, heading into the final three days.
Conclusion
Controlled batting and disciplined bowling from Vidarbha have placed Rest of India as the underdog at the Irani Cup 2025. With an advantage of 200 with wickets remaining, the hosts are in a strong position. ROI will need to apply some team effort on Day 3 to rescue the situation and keep their hopes alive.
Amit Mishra’s Take:
Vidarbha had the upper hand on Day 2 of the Irani Cup 2025, as the Ranji champions continued their assuredness against the Rest of India. The highlights included Atharva Taide’s steady 143 as well as the fluid knock of 91 from Yash Rathod as Vidarbha reached 342 in their first innings and had ROI on the back foot at 142/5 when bad light curtailed an enthralling day’s play. Although there was some temporary resistance from Easwaran with 52 and an unbeaten 42 runs by Patidar, the ROI middle order struggled against the unrelenting pressure of Vidarbha’s bowlers. Parth Rekhade and Vidarbha’s bowling group held up their end when it was most necessary, while also prioritizing moving the game along when they could.
The hosts are poised to run away with the game when combined with a first-innings lead of 200 and wickets in hand. More exciting play can be expected from Days 3 of this action-filled leg of the Irani Cup 2025 this summer, with unrivaled tension and drama.
YOU MIGHT LIKE: Chris Woakes Retires from International Cricket
