Bengal won against Delhi, Karnataka chased down a massive 383 against Mumbai while  Pondicherry defeated Saurashtra by five wickets on matchday 1 of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. 

Three matches were abandoned due to rain and weather while we saw some exciting games on matchday 1 of the India's Premier One-Day Domestic tournament. 

Shreyas Iyer scored a blistering unbeaten 114 from 55 balls while Bengal wicket-keeper batter Abishek Porel smashed an unbeaten 170 from 130 balls against Delhi.

Iyer's ton went in vein as Karnataka keeper Krishnan Shrijith scored an unbeaten 15o from 101 balls to chase down the massive target of 383 with 22 balls remaining. 

On the other hand, Anmolpreet Singh smashed the fastest List A ton by an Indian, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls against Arunachal Pradesh. 

Read Also | Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 Preview: Squads, fixture, streaming details, groups, players to watch out

While most of the heavyweights won on Matchday 1, Pondicherry stunned Saurashtra with a five-wicket victory over Jaydev Unadkat's team. 

Vijay Hazare Trophy Results – 21 Dec 2024 (With Scores):

1. Punjab vs Arunachal Pradesh

• Punjab – 167/1 (12.5 Overs)
• Arunachal Pradesh – 164 (48.4 Overs)
• Result: Punjab won by 9 wickets

2. Madhya Pradesh vs Bihar

• Madhya Pradesh – 197/4 (25.1 Overs)
• Bihar – 196 (46.4 Overs)
• Result: Madhya Pradesh won by 6 wickets

3. Services vs Sikkim

• Services – 164/5 (34.4 Overs)
• Sikkim – 163 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Services won by 5 wickets

4. Gujarat vs Haryana

• Gujarat – 263/3 (36.2 Overs)
• Haryana – 260 (49.3 Overs)
• Result: Gujarat won by 7 wickets

5. Uttarakhand vs Manipur

• Uttarakhand – 365/4 (50.0 Overs)
• Manipur – 183 (46.2 Overs)
• Result: Uttarakhand won by 182 runs

6. Himachal Pradesh vs Meghalaya

• Himachal Pradesh – 279/9 (50.0 Overs)
• Meghalaya – 153 (40.2 Overs)
• Result: Himachal Pradesh won by 126 runs

7. Andhra vs Railways

• Andhra – 294 (49.2 Overs)
• Railways – 203 (41.5 Overs)
• Result: Andhra won by 91 runs

8. Goa vs Odisha

• Goa – 371/4 (50.0 Overs)
• Odisha – 344 (49.4 Overs)
• Result: Goa won by 27 runs

9. Bengal vs Delhi

• Bengal – 274/4 (41.3 Overs)
• Delhi – 272/7 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Bengal won by 6 wickets

10. Jharkhand vs Assam

• Jharkhand – 261/3 (44.3 Overs)
• Assam – 257/9 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Jharkhand won by 7 wickets

11. Maharashtra vs Rajasthan

• Maharashtra – 216/7 (42.3 Overs)
• Rajasthan – 215 (40.1 Overs)
• Result: Maharashtra won by 3 wickets

12. Pondicherry vs Saurashtra

• Pondicherry – 289/5 (48.4 Overs)
• Saurashtra – 285/8 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Pondicherry won by 5 wickets

13. Hyderabad vs Nagaland

• Hyderabad – 276 (48.1 Overs)
• Nagaland – 234/8 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Hyderabad won by 42 runs

14. Baroda vs Tripura

• Baroda – 302/7 (50.0 Overs)
• Tripura – 210 (44.4 Overs)
• Result: Baroda won by 92 runs

15. Karnataka vs Mumbai

• Karnataka – 383/3 (46.2 Overs)
• Mumbai – 382/4 (50.0 Overs)
• Result: Karnataka won by 7 wickets

Matches Abandoned:

• Chandigarh vs Tamil Nadu – No play possible
• J & K vs Uttar Pradesh – No play possible
• Chhattisgarh vs Mizoram – No play possible

Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the India vs New Zealand Final in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, to be played today at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.

Exactly a week ago, India faced off against New Zealand in the last group game of the Group A. India won the match by 44 runs to finish first in the group stage.

However, India defeated Australia by four wickets in the first semi-final, whereas New Zealand posted a dominant win by 50 runs against South Africa in the second semi-final.

Both teams have displayed supreme cricketing action so far in this tournament, setting up a potential thrilling final. So just relax and enjoy the epic clash as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, images and match commentary of the epic India vs New Zealand Final in the ICC CT '25.

This is Koushik Biswas and Soumit Bhattacharya who bring you all the LIVE Updates from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.

Ranji Trophy is an annual domestic first-class cricket competition organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and played between the country's state and regional cricket associations.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy winners since 1934-35 season

The premier domestic competition named after the first Indian cricketer, Ranjitsinhji, who was also known as 'Ranji', was launched in 1934-35 featuring 15 teams in four zones in a knockout format and has since expanded to a 32-team tournament in the league and knockout format.

The first-ever edition was won by Bombay now known as Mumbai, who have also won the Ranji title the most. Record champions Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy 41 times so far. Mumbai has also reached the final 47 times.

Karnataka earlier played as Mysore is the second most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, having won the title 8 times and finished runners up 6 times followed by Delhi, who have won the title 7 times and finished as runners-up 8 times.

The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 has finally concluded with Vidarbha winning their third Ranji title defeating Kerala in the finals. Let's check out the last 10 winners of the Ranji title.

Read Also: Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season

Last 10 winners of the Ranji Trophy

N.B: Last Updated on 03/03/2025.

Ranji Trophy, the Premier Division Tournament in Indian domestic cricket has given future stars of Indian cricket over the years. Domestic players prove themselves in the Ranji Trophy as best in the country, before announcing themselves on the world stage.

Today, we will discuss the players who have taken the most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season to cement their place in the history of Indian domestic cricket. Ashutosh Aman of Bihar has the record for most wickets taken in a single Ranji season currently.

Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season

10. Sai Kishore | 53 wickets

Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Sai Kishore took 53 wickets in a single season in 2023-24 and listed himself in the record books. He became the first Tamil Nadu bowler to take more than fifty wickets in a Ranji Season.

Sai Kishore took a total of 53 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 18.52 including 3 five-wicket hauls. Despite his heroics with the ball, Tamil Nadu fell short against Mumbai in the semi-finals that season. 

Read Also | Bengal Ranji Team in Last Three Seasons: 13 opening combinations, 22 debutants and many more numbers

9. Gurinder Singh | 53 wickets

Playing for Meghalaya, left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh took 53 wickets in just 8 matches to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker of the 2018/19 Ranji Trophy season. Gurinder created the record in the plate group of the tournament. 

Gurinder's splendid season with the ball included 5 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul in a match as well. The spin-bowling all-rounder started his career with Tripura and played for Punjab, Meghalaya and Chandigarh as well.

8. Aditya Sarwate | 55 wickets

Aditya Sarwate, the left-arm spinner from Vidarbha listed himself among the bowlers with the most wickets in a single season in 2018/19 when he picked up 55 wickets in 11 matches. 

Sarwate at that time was the only Vidarbha bowler to pick up more than 50 wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season. He picked up 11 wickets in the 2018/19 Ranji Trophy final as Vidarbha defeated Saurashtra to become the sixth team in history to defend a Ranji Trophy title. 

Sarwate currently is playing for Kerala.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

7. Sanjay Yadav | 55 wickets

Another left-arm in the list, Sanjay Yadav took 55 wickets in the 2019/20 season playing for Meghalaya in the plate group. Though Meghalaya failed to reach the knock-out stage of the tournament, Sanjay made a name for himself with five 5-wicket hauls and 3 ten-wicket hauls in the season. 

6. Shahbaz Nadeem | 56 wickets

Shahbaz Nadeem is one of the renowned names in Indian domestic cricket's history with 542 first-class wickets to his name. Playing for his state Jharkhand, Nadeem picked up 56 wickets in 10 games in the 2016/17 season at an average of 25.60. 

The left-arm spinner's incredible season with the ball included four 5-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket hauls in a match. Despite his incredible season, Jharkhand could not reach the final as Jasprit Bumrah's 6-wicket haul helped Gujarat defeat them in the semis. 

Nadeem himself also had taken a five-wicket haul in the semi-final.

Read Also | Most runs in Ranji Trophy in a single season

5. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja | 59 wickets

Saurashtra's Dharmendrasinh Jadeja outshined everyone with a record-breaking 59 wickets in the 2018-19 Ranji trophy season. He then was the highest wicket-taker for Saurashtra in a single season of Ranji Trophy, which was later broken by Jaydev Unadkat. 

In 11 games that season Jadeja averaged 27.16 and took five 5-wicket hauls including one 10-wicket haul in a match. Despite Jadeja's six-wicket haul, Saurashtra lost the final at the hands of Vidarbha. 

4. Kanwaljit Singh | 59 wickets

Hyderabad's off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh had set the record for most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season in 1999/00 season which lasted till 2018-19 when Ashutosh Aman of Bihar broke that record. 

Kanwaljit took 59 wickets in 11 matches to set the record. He averaged 24.06 with the ball and had taken 4 five-wicket hauls alongside two 10-wicket hauls. The off-spinner retired after taking 369 first-class wickets and was one of the unluckiest off-spinners to not have played for India during his era.

3. Harsh Dubey | 66*

Harsh Dubey, the Vidarbha all-rounder has already listed himself among the greats of Indian domestic cricket only in his third season. The left-arm spinner has already taken 66 wickets in the 2024-25 season and will have a chance to break the overall record in the ongoing final between Kerala and Vidarbha. 

In 10 matches till now Dubey has taken 66 wickets at an average of 16.81. His 7 five-wicket haul in his season is also the joint-highest in Elite group history. Dubey also has taken two 10-wicket hauls this season. 

2. Jaydev Unadkat | 67

Jaydev Unadkat in the 2019-20 season broke multiple records as he led Saurasthra to their maiden Ranji Trophy title. The left-arm seamer became the first and still only pacer to take more than 60 wickets in a Ranji Trophy season. 

Not only that in that record breaking season he became the bowler to take most wickets in a Ranji season in elite groups. Undakat took 67 wickets in 11 games at an average of 13.23. His 7 five-wicket hauls is still a record in elite group. He also took 3 ten-wicket hauls that season. 

1. Ashutosh Aman | 68 wickets

Bihar's Ashutosh Aman still holds the record for most wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season, which he achieved in 2018/19 season. 

The left-arm spinner took 68 wickets in just 8 plate group games at an incredible average of 6.48 runs per wicket. Aman took 9 five-wicket hauls that season, which is also a Ranji Trophy record. His five 10-wicket haul is also a record in Indian domestic cricket. 

Chakdaha, a very tiny town in the Nadia district of West Bengal, is known to the cricketing world for a very special player. It is Jhulan Goswami, who made Chakdaha famous with fiery spells all around the globe, wearing the Blue jersey of India. 

When Jhulan was breaking records in women's cricket, another speedster from Chakdaha dreamt of breaking stumps and records too. Sayan Ghosh, known as Bengal's Malinga, saw ups and downs from the start of his cricketing career. But, like his swinging yorkers, Sayan never swayed away from his targets. 

Ghosh last played a Ranji Trophy game way back in 2017. In 6 first-class games, he has two five-wicket hauls. Still, he was never called back to the Ranji Trophy, team until this season. The reason is his incredible comeback into the white ball side for Bengal. 

Sayan Ghosh's incredible season in white-ball format

Sayan was always called the "White Ball" specialist due to his ability to hit yorkers and variations. However, with bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Porel and Akash Deep doing well, he found himself out of the side in the last few seasons. But, his will to keep doing well at the club level, helped him make another comeback to the Bengal side. 

This season, Sayan Ghosh was the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in both Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he returned with 13 wickets from 7 games at an outstanding economy rate of 6.77.

Bengal wins the thriller against Chandigarh and marches forward to the semi finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.

Former KKR bowler Sayan Ghosh was the star of the show as he picked up 4 wickets and defended 11 runs of the final over that helped Bengal come out on top. pic.twitter.com/ZdOl4soLSt

— KKR ULTRAS (@KKRUltras) December 9, 2024

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the stats were even better as he capped off the season with 15 wickets from 7 games which included a five-wicket haul against Kerala. Post, his outstanding white-ball return, Sayan was included in the Ranji Trophy squad for the final two games of the season. 

Read Also | Bengal Ranji Team in Last Three Seasons: 13 opening combinations, 22 debutants and many more numbers

"Nothing as sweet as a comeback:" Sayan Ghosh

After his remarkable resurgence in domestic cricket, Sportz Point sat with the 32-year-old pacer to sense his thoughts. 

Talking about his return to the Bengal team, Sayan started the conversation by saying, "It is always a pleasure to represent Bengal. And there is nothing as sweet as a comeback when you are down and about to lose. Performing well for the team feels great."

Ex-KKR pacer Sayan Ghosh in action for @Mohun_Bagan

Does his action resemble anyone? #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/mPaLkt1Rr5

— Koushik Biswas (@kbofficial25) November 28, 2023

Impact of Bengal Pro T20 League

Sayan feels, along with doing well for Mohun Bagan in the club format, the Bengal Pro T20 League has helped him be in the best form possible. 

"I must say, performance in BPL gave me confidence," Sayan told Sportz Point.

"I didn’t take too much pressure for the whole season because I knew if I did well, I would play. I had belief in myself. Captain Sudip (Gharami), coaches Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da and Maco (Shib Shankar Paul) da gave confidence. So, I didn’t take a lot of pressure."

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sayan ghosh (@16sayan)

Focusing on the basics

A few seasons back, Sayan had a longer run-up which caused him a few injuries. But, post the 2022 season, he shortened his run-up to avoid such injuries which helped him gain more control. Keeping this in mind, Sportz Point wanted to know if he had done anything special to prepare for this grand comeback. 

However, as per Sayan, he just kept doing the basic things over and over to get better at everything. "I do lots of fitness work and spot bowling. It helps me a lot," Sayan added while answering the question. 

Read Also | Where Are They Now: Last Time Bengal Men's Cricket Team Won A Trophy

"Trust in GOD"

Regardless of how, for a sportsperson, a comeback is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical battle. Back in 2022, in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point, Sayan shared that "rejections do not deject him." 

But, saying that and actually having that mental strength are two different things altogether. For Sayan, it was all about being present and believing in God. 

"There comes a time in every sportsman's life when they stop worrying about the outcome, trust in God, and fully immerse themselves in the process. So, that was my thinking just to be in the present and wait for my turn," Sayan expressed. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

During tough periods like these, players always get some people clapping and cheering for them. For Sayan, along with his family, there were a few people, who guided and supported him throughout the process. 

"Maco da (Shib Shankar Paul) and Kanchan (Maity) da gave me chances in BPL And Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da helped me and gave me a chance to come back in Bengal Cricket." 

"I must say about Akash da, one of my colleagues in my office, who is a very good bowler himself. He supported me in every aspect of my life. I think without his support, I could not have made the come back like that," Sayan stated.

Age? Not a problem

But, in this process of being in and out of the team, Sayan has reached an age where most cricketers start to reach the end of their careers. But, not all. 

Cricketers like Scott Boland have proved that, if you can keep putting in the hard work, even as a fast bowler you can debut and play at the highest level even after 30. Sayan believes that too. 

"Hope keeps us alive. I don’t think a lot about the outcome. But, when you have a goal to achieve something big in your professional career, you always stay motivated," the 32-year-old shared. 

"There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and about to lose. If you are thinking about a comeback, you have to keep pushing the boundaries. I have small targets to do well in club cricket and give Mohunbagan trophies. I want to make a strong impact in Bengal Cricket in every format."

Read Also | Exclusive | "Felt like my debut:" Bengal pacer Ishan Porel now wants to enjoy his cricket after a solid comeback to first-class cricket

The love for "Red Cherry"

Now, after a great white-ball return, Sayan Ghosh wants to don the whites for Bengal again. Amidst all the success around white-ball cricket, his love for red-ball cricket remained the same; like a 10-year-old with a new ball in hand. 

"We are playing well in all formats, especially in the Ranji trophy. It was unfortunate for us not to qualify despite playing well in the group stages. The Bihar match and the Kerala match were gone because of the rain and that was the reason (we could not qualify). 

"The last time I played a Ranji Trophy game was in 2017. I have played 6 matches and got two five-wicket hauls. However, because of certain team combinations, I haven't played red-ball cricket in a long time now. 

"My belief is always there to make a strong comeback in red ball cricket."

Punjab Kings will start its IPL 2025 campaign on 25th March against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.

PBKS bought Shreyas Iyer, who had made Kolkata Knight Riders the champion last season, from the mega auction of IPL 2025 by spending a huge amount and then handed over the command of the team to him. 

Also Read: IPL 2025 schedule of Lucknow Super Giants

Now the fans of Punjab will expect from their new captain that he will help the team in ending the title drought.

Here is the full IPL 2025 Schedule of Punjab Kings.

IPL 2025 schedule of Punjab Kings

1. March 25, Tuesday - Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Ahmedabad
2. April 1, Tuesday - Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Lucknow
3. April 5, Saturday - Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals - 7:30 PM - Chandigarh
4. April 8, Tuesday - Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings - 7:30 PM - Chandigarh
5. April 12, Saturday - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Hyderabad
6. April 15, Tuesday - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - 7:30 PM - New Chandigarh
7. April 18, Friday - Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Bengaluru
8. April 20, Sunday - Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 3:30 PM - New Chandigarh
9. April 26, Saturday - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Kolkata
10. April 30, Wednesday - Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Chennai
11. May 4, Sunday - Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants - 7:30 PM - Dharamsala
12. May 8, Thursday -  Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals - 7:30 PM - Dharamsala
13. May 11, Sunday - Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians - 3:30 PM - Dharamsala
14. May 16, Friday - Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings - 7:30 PM - Jaipur