Robin Minz shines as Player of the Match; Jharkhand to face Uttarakhand at Keenan Stadium from February 6
Jamshedpur: Jharkhand secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group after defeating Odisha by four wickets in a thrilling match at Keenan Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a target of 246 runs in the second innings, Jharkhand reached 249 for six in 71.3 overs to register a well-earned victory.
Opener Sharandeep Singh Bhatia played a steady knock of 64 runs, while wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Minz once again impressed with 63 runs. All-rounder Anukul Roy contributed a crucial 45, Shikhar Mohan added 30 runs, and Aditya Singh remained unbeaten on 22 to guide the team to victory.
For Odisha, Syed Tufail Ahmed was the standout bowler in the second innings, claiming four wickets, while Govind Poddar picked up two.
Earlier in the day, Jharkhand bowled out Odisha for 226 runs in their second innings. Odisha captain Subhranshu Senapati top-scored with 73 runs, while Govind Poddar chipped in with 31. Jharkhand’s bowling attack was led by Anukul Roy, who took an impressive five wickets, and Aditya Singh, who claimed four wickets to restrict Odisha’s total.
Despite trailing by 19 runs in the first innings, Jharkhand made a strong comeback with both bat and ball to seal the match.
Robin Minz emerged as the hero of the contest with half-centuries in both innings, scoring 52 in the first innings and 63 in the second. His all-round batting performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
“I just played my natural game. I had observed the movement of the ball while keeping wickets and felt that playing aggressively would help me score quickly. I enjoy batting in all formats,” Minz said after the match.
With this win, Jharkhand finished on top of the Elite Group A points table with 31 points from seven matches, which included four wins, one loss and two draws. Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha also ended with 31 points each, but based on better run rate, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh qualified for the knockout stage, while Vidarbha finished third.
Jharkhand head coach Ratna Kumar praised the team’s collective effort throughout the season.
“This victory belongs to the entire team. The players have performed consistently with both bat and ball, which helped us qualify for the quarterfinals,” he said.
Jharkhand will now face Uttarakhand in the quarterfinal match, which is scheduled to be played at Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur starting from February 6.
Brief Scores:
Odisha – 282 & 226
Jharkhand – 263 & 249/6
The thrilling win not only boosted Jharkhand’s confidence but also highlighted the strong teamwork and emerging talent in the squad as they move into the crucial knockout stage of the prestigious domestic tournament.
