Rohan Kunnummal: Last News

South Zone's juggernaut continued as they clinched the Deodhar Trophy title for the ninth time with a commanding 45-run win over East Zone in the final, here on Thursday. After opener Rohan Kunnummal smacked a sensational century -- a 75-ball 107 with four sixes and 11 fours -- to set the ball rolling for his side, there was no stopping the South Zone who piled up 328 for eight in the summit clash batting first. South Zone's impressive bowling line-up then made life miserable for the East Zone batters, whose top order crumbled to reach 75 for four after 16 overs and were left staring at a mountain to climb. It was not for the first time in the Deodhar Trophy that East Zone pinned all their hopes on the pair of Riyan Parag and Kumar Kushagra, who delivered yet again with a 105-run stand for the sixth wicket, but their effort was just not enough.

A horrible mix-up between Karun Nair (86) and Danish Malewar (138 not out) denied the former a deserving century but their much needed resistance took Vidarbha to a formidable 254/4 at stumps on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final against Kerala in Nagpur on Wednesday. Nair and Malewar led a strong fightback for the hosts at the VCA Stadium after Kerala seamers struck early thrice to leave Vidarbha struggling at 24 for three. The pair put on a resolute 215-run stand for the fourth wicket consuming as many as 414 deliveries across the three sessions, mixing caution with aggression to give Vidarbha a strong footing in the summit clash.

Kerala vs Vidarbha, Ranji Trophy Final 2024-25 Live Updates: Reaching their first-ever Ranji Trophy final, Kerala look to continue their fairytale journey against Vidarbha. Kerala skipper Sachin Baby won the toss and opted to field first at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Sachin took the decision keeping in mind the excessive grass on the pitch. With it being a red soil pitch, pacers are expected to generate some bounce while the ball is also expected to seam around. Spinners will also have a role to play, but later in the 4-day match. (Live Scorecard)

Kerala will take on Mumbai in Match No. 20 of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur, India, on Saturday, November 25. The match will begin at 09:00 AM IST. Mumbai are ranked first in the Group A points table of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 with two points and a net run rate of +5.720. They won their opening match against Sikkim by seven wickets. Kerala, meanwhile, are fourth with two points from one match. They also won their opening match against Saurashtra by three wickets and have a net run rate of +0.244.

Kerala will be up against Mumbai in match No. 20 of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 on Saturday, November 25 at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur, India. The match will start at 9:00 AM IST.

Sanju Samson was on Thursday appointed as the Kerala captain for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, scheduled to be held from October 16 to November 6 across various venues. Kerala will open their Group B campaign in the tournament with a match against Himachal Pradesh in Mumbai. In the group, Kerala and HP will compete along with Sikkim, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Odisha, Services and Chandigarh. Samson will be eager to underline his prowess with some strident outings in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy that will keep him in the range of national selectors.

The formidable South Zone will be eyeing their second national title in three weeks when they face an equally combative East Zone in the Deodhar Trophy final in Puducherry on Thursday. South Zone, who had won the Duleep Trophy last month in Bengaluru, have entered the title round with an all-win record in the league stage, and hold a slight edge. South will be looking to add a ninth Deodhar Trophy to their cabinet, while East Zone will be gunning for their sixth title in the competition.

South Zone stormed into the final of the Deodhar Trophy after Sai Sudharsan's unbeaten 132 set up a commanding seven-win over Central Zone on Tuesday. South Zone will now take on East Zone in the final to be played here on Thursday. South Zone's win was also their fifth in a row, putting them far ahead of the competition with 20 points. East Zone, who recorded four wins and a loss from five round-robin matches, finished second with 16 points after a huge 157-run win over West Zone earlier in the day. After Central Zone managed 261 for nine in 50 overs having elected to bat first, Sudharsan anchored the chase for his side.