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Dubey has enjoyed a memorable year-and-a-half.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
After nearly two months of limited-overs action, domestic cricket returns to white stripes as Vidarbha, the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy winner, travels to face Andhra in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group A fixture at the Anantapur Cricket Ground starting Thursday.
Flying high
Much like its recent 50-over dominance, defending champion Vidarbha tops the group and also has the highest tally overall, with 25 points after five rounds of red-ball cricket this season.
Andhra follows closely with 22 points, and despite the gap, both sides have three wins and two draws.
Historically, there has been little to separate the two teams. Of the four Ranji Trophy matches between these rivals, three have ended in draws, while Vidarbha claimed the only outright result in Nagpur in 2024.
Consistent unit
Consistency remains the hallmark of Vidrabha, with players contributing across formats.
Harsh Dubey has enjoyed a memorable year-and-a-half, picking up 98 First Class wickets since the start of the 2024–25 season. With skipper Akshay Wadkar injured, Dubey, fresh from leading the side to its maiden Hazare title, is at the helm.
Vidarbha’s batting looks strong, with Yash Rathod, Aman Mokhade, Atharva Taide, and Dhruv Shorey in good form. Seamer Nachiket Bhute and spinner Parth Rekhade lead the team’s wicket charts with 22 scalps each, while Darshan Nalkande’s white-ball form offers promise in four-day cricket, too.
Cohesive outfit
Andhra, too, has functioned as a cohesive unit. Abhishek Reddy and Shaikh Rasheed have scored 447 and 440 runs respectively, with K.S. Bharat adding 311. Saurabh Kumar has impressed with 23 wickets.
India all-rounder Nitish Kumar is likely to be available for at least one of the remaining two rounds, though whether he turns out soon after the ODI series against New Zealand remains to be seen.
Published – January 21, 2026 06:46 pm IST
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Ranji Trophy: Little to separate holder Vidarbha and Andhra in top-of-the-table clash
