Rajneesh Gurbani

Rain-hit Thiruvananthapuram saw Maharashtra post 239, with MD Nidheesh taking 5/49. Old foe Rajneesh Gurbani then struck early, reducing Kerala to 35/3, which means that the hosts hold a deficit of 204 runs. Despite a challenging day, Kerala remains hopeful of a turnaround, with the match finely poised for a gripping conclusion.

A five-wicket haul by Rahul Shrivas enabled Indian Gymkhana register a thumping 245-run victory over Lipton Club in the Guzder League 'A' Division match.

Warming up for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in style, Mumbai clinched the 27th Bapuna Cup T20 tournament on Saturday, beating Dinshaws XI - a Vidarbha outfit, by 11 runs in the final.

Medium pacer Rajneesh Gurbani took a five-wicket haul to bowl out Kerala for 176 before Vidarbha finished Day 3 on 77 for one, extending their overall lead to 147 runs in a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match on Saturday.

Vidarbha may have lost young pacer Yash Thakur to injury but they got their go-to red ball pacer Rajneesh Gurbani back in the squad.

Sheldon Jackson struck a fine century before Vidarbha bowlers made a strong comeback to restrict Saurashtra to 301 in their first innings on Day 1 of their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match on Monday.

Faiz Fazal was batting comfortably when the ball surprisingly started spinning on what is known as pacer-friendly wicket at Lahli. Vidarbha had lost their top-3 key batters and needed Faiz to bat longer in a must-win game. However, a controversial leg-before decision went against him and triggered a collapse that put Vidarbha on backfoot on Day-2 of the elite group 'G' Ranji Trophy match.

B Sai Sudharsan slammed an unbeaten 181 to help Jolly Rovers score 435 for 4 against Vijay CC on the second day of the TNCA First Division League on Tuesday.

Within just three overs of the Ranji Trophy semifinal, the home supporters started getting jitters. A lot had happened in the short period. Kerala were sent in to bat by Vidarbha. The ball was shooting off from good length and there was swing too.

Experienced opener Faiz Fazal will lead the Vidarbha team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy beginning February 20. Wicketkeeper-batsman Akshay Wadkar has been chosen as Faiz's deputy in the 22-member squad for the national 50-over championship.

Rajneesh Gurbani had played a pivotal role in Vidarbha's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 2017-18. Ever since, he had become a vital cog in red-ball set-up for Vidarbha. He is an automatic choice when it comes to four-day format. However, he has been left out of the squad for the first two matches of the Ranji Trophy starting from January 13.

"I would like to increase the pace and will work as per the instructions of the trainer. Normally, we start training three months before the season, but this time we have started a month before. The program is like one day gym and one day endurance. I know I have to improve a lot in fitness," Rajneesh Gurbani said.

The veteran lauded the efforts of Vidarbha and India 'A' pacer Rajneesh Gurbani, who incidentally won the outstanding sports person award for VV Naik Trophy.

In seven deliveries on Saturday morning, Vidarbha medium-pacer Rajneesh Gurbani changed the course of the Ranji Trophy final and also entered the record books.

Rajneesh Gurbani, a key player in Vidarbha's first Ranji Trophy win, will leave Vidarbha for personal growth and new opportunities, joining Maharashtra next season. Gurbani, known for his memorable spells including a hat-trick in the 2018-19 final, has 111 wickets in 34 matches. Despite recent successes, he fell out of favor with selectors, playing only one match last season. With offers from multiple teams, he secured a no objection certificate from Vidarbha and is expected to thrive on Maharashtra's home ground.

Aniruddha Chore played yet another superb knock to steer Ruby Sporting Club to the final of the Guzder League Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Speedsters Lalit Yadav (5-22) and Rajneesh Gurbani (4-33) bailed Vidarbha out after they conceded lead and put them on a winning course with their sizzling spells on Saturday.

Rajneesh Gurbani was about to start his first over when a snake entered the outfield at Devineni Venkata Ramana Praneetha Ground, in Mulapadu, which delayed the start of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'A' match between Vidarbha and Andhra.