Haryana is the latest entrant on the Vijay Hazare Trophy past winners list as they defeated Rajasthan in the 2023-24 season of the limited-overs domestic tournament of Indian cricket. 

Also Read: Most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy history

Starting in the 2002-03 season, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, named after the legendary Indian cricketer, has been won by 11 different teams so far with Tamil Nadu winning it the most number of times (five).

Let's take a look at the Vijay Hazare Trophy past winners. 

Vijay Hazare Trophy | One of the most leading domestic tournament 

Just like Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy is also a domestic tournament organised annually by the BCCI. 

All the teams that participate in Ranji Trophy participate in this tournament as well.

Because of this tournament, white ball cricketers from respective states get a platform to showcase their abilities. 

It helps in segregating the best amongst the best. The players who perform well in these matches get a call for further selection in Zonal Cricket Association, National Cricket Academy (NCA), IPL, India A etc. 

Hence, it is a stepping stone in their journey to represent the county.

Vijay Hazare Trophy, earlier called Ranji One Day Trophy

The Vijay Hazare Trophy was earlier called the Ranji One Day Trophy and it was played at the zonal level instead of the state level.

The first edition of this tournament was played in 1993-94 and since then it has played a vital part in the BCCI domestic structure.

This competition was renamed to the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2007, named after an esteemed cricketer, Vijay Samuel Hazare. 

He captained India in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953, leading India to its first test win in 1951 against England at Madras. 

He scored 2192 runs in 30 games, at an astonishing batting average of 47.65. 

Vijay Hazare Trophy | Format 

The Vijay Hazare Trophy is a 50 over tournament that follows a round-robin format in the group stage, leading to knockout rounds. 

The tournament is divided into several groups, and the top two teams from each group go against each other in the knockout stages. 

In total, 38 teams participate, reflecting the broad representation of Indian domestic cricket.

Vijay Hazare Trophy Past Winners

Tamil Nadu, most successful team of VHT

Tamil Nadu, the inaugural champions, have won five titles, the most in Vijay Hazare Trophy history. 

Karnataka and Mumbai are joint-second with four titles. Meanwhile, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the only teams to have lifted two trophies on the bounce.

The trophy was shared by Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh in the 2004-05 season.  

Bengal have finished runner-up five times, the most in the competition.

Bengal, Railways, Delhi, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh have all won the title once each.

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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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."

Virat Kohli is making his return to domestic cricket after 12 long years. The question which is booming around the internet is will the match be streamed LIVE?

Yes, Virat Kohli’s highly anticipated comeback in the Ranji Trophy will be streamed LIVE! Initially, the Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match wasn’t on the broadcast schedule, but keeping the stature of the match in mind, BCCI and JioCinema have stepped in to stream the match LIVE.

Match Details:

• Match: Delhi vs Railways
• Date: January 30, 2025
• Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
• Live Streaming: JioCinema

A Grand Return After 12 Years

It has been over a decade since Kohli last played in the Ranji Trophy. His last appearance dates back to the 2012-13 season, making this return a nostalgic moment for fans and a significant boost for domestic cricket.

Given his stature in world cricket, this match could also be the last time Kohli plays a domestic game, adding to the excitement and emotions surrounding his return.

DDCA has announced that 10000 fans will be allowed at the stadium for free with first come first serve basis.

Read Also | Ranji Trophy 2024-25: What happened when Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma played Ranji Trophy games last time?

Other Matches to Be Streamed LIVE

Apart from Kohli’s match, three other key Ranji Trophy matches will also be streamed live on JioCinema:

• Bengal vs Punjab
• Karnataka vs Haryana
• Baroda vs Jammu & Kashmir

Why This Match is Special?

This is more than just a Ranji Trophy fixture for the fans. Kohli’s return could attract record-breaking viewership for domestic cricket, something rarely seen outside of IPL or international matches.

Moreover, Kohli, who has struggled for runs, will look to score some runs ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 to get himself ready. With Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal failing to score runs in their return to domestic cricket, it will be interesting to see how Kohli goes about his business.

Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's premier List A cricket tournament, has provided a platform for players to make their mark in domestic cricket. 

The competition features a mix of seasoned professionals, IPL stars, and young talents aiming for to prove themselves.

Also Read: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Knockout fixture and schedule

let's have a look at the top 10 batters with most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy history.

Most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy

1. Ankit Bawne | 3960 Runs

Maharashtra veteran batter Ankit Bawne scored the most runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy history. 

He scored 3960 runs in VHT in 88 innings of 93 matches at an average of 56.57 and a strike rate of 80.03.

Bawne also holds the record for the most century in VHT, registering 15 tons. He broke Ruturaj Gaikwad's record of 12 centuries.

His highest scored is 184*.

2. Dinesh Karthik | 3433 Runs

Senior wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who played for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket, scored 3433 runs in 71 innings of 79 matches with 9 centuries and 19 half-centuries.

His highest score is 154*.

3. Manish Pandey | 3403 Runs

Manish Pandey, who led Karnataka in Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored 3403 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament in 99 innings of 103 matches. 

He scored runs at an average of 44.77 and a strike rate of 93.66. His highest score is 142*.

Pandey is the fourth batsman in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy to score 20 plus half centuries (25).

4. Priyank Panchal | 3395 Runs

Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal scored 3395 runs in 83 matches at an average of 42.97 and a strike rate of 80.77.

The right-handed batter smashed 8 centuries and 20 half-centuries for Gujarat. 

Panchal is the first player to score a triple century for Gujarat. He was the leading run-scorer for Gujarat in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, with 542 runs in seven matches.

His highest score in VHT is 136.

5. Mayank Agarawal | 3304 Runs

Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal scored 3304 runs in 69 innings of 70* matches. He scored at an average of 53.29 and a strike rate of 99.81.

He has 11 centuries and 16 half-centuries to his name. His highest score in VHT is 162. 

Mayank was once India's mainstay opener in Test cricket as he opened alongside Rohit Sharma. However, the emergence of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as well as a dip in his own firm worked against him.

He has over 5,300 runs in List A cricket.

6. Prashant Chopra | 3280 Runs

Himachal Pradesh batter Prashant Chopra scored 3280 runs in 80 innings of 81 matches at an average of 42.59 and a strike rate of 81.57.

Prashant smashed 6 centuries and 20 half-centuries for Himachal. His highest score in VHT is 159.

He was the leading run-scorer for Himachal Pradesh in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 329 runs in six matches.

Prashant was also bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL auction.

7. Mandeep Singh | 3238 Runs

Punjab batter Mandeep Singh scored 3238 runs in 91 innings of 101 matches. He scored at an average of 39.01 and a strike rate of 77.93.

He hit 4 centuries and 23 half-centuries for Punjab with a highest score of 119. 

He was the highest run scorer in 2015 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Mandeep was also one of the most consistent run scorers in latest editions of Ranji Trophy.

8. Ganesh Satish | 3210 Runs 

Ganesh Satish, former Karnataka batsman, now representing Vidarbha, scored 3210 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored in 93 innings of 98 matches at an average of 38.67 and a strike rate of 78.88.

He smashed 5 centuries and 21 half-centuries in VHT. His highest score is 140*.

Ganesh became the eighth batsman to aggregate 2000 plus runs in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy.

9. Yashpal Singh | 3193 Runs 

The former Services middle-order batter, Yashpal Singh amassed 3193 runs in 69 innings of 72 matches at an impressive average of 60.24. 

Between 2008-2019, Yashpal represented Manipur, Tripura and Services before plying his trade for Sikkim in the latter half of his career.

He has 10 centuries and 21 half-centuries to his name with highest score of 134*. 

10. Saurabh Tiwary | 3190 Runs

Jharkhand batter Saurabh Tiwary scored 3190 runs in 85 innings of 89 matches at an average of 49.07 and a strike rate of 83.48.

He has 5 centuries and 20 half-centuries to his name with a highest score of 130*.

Tiwary was called into the squad for the 2010 Asia Cup, but did not play. He made his ODI debut against Australia in Visakhapatnam in October 2010 after a few first-choice players were rested.