Spinners Saransh Jain and Sagar Solanki took six wickets collectively as Madhya Pradesh secured a 217-run victory over Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match. Madhya Pradesh declared their second innings at 229/8, setting Karnataka a challenging target of 362. Karnataka, in response, were bowled out for 144 with Jain (3-37) and Solanki (3-20) dismantling their batting lineup.
Opener KV Aneesh, scoring 57 off 142 balls, led Karnataka’s resistance, but the absence of injured Karun Nair weakened their chances. Nikin Jose, a concussion substitute, fought for 26 runs off 101 balls before being dismissed lbw by Jain. Despite a 61-run partnership between Jose and Shreyas Gopal, Karnataka’s collapse was swift.
Madhya Pradesh’s significant win elevated them to second place in Elite Group B with 22 points, while Karnataka slipped to third with 21 points. Maharashtra’s victory over Goa placed them at the top of the table with 24 points. With Saurashtra also in contention, Group B is now a four-way battle for two knockout spots. Karnataka needs a win against Punjab in their final league game to stay in contention.
In another match, Tamil Nadu clinched a 207-run victory over Odisha in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A encounter. Despite Anil Parida’s resilient 98, Odisha fell short in their chase of 455. Sonu Yadav’s all-round performance, including 5-30 in the first innings and a quick 74 with the bat, was instrumental in Tamil Nadu’s win. Although Tamil Nadu strengthened their standings, they are out of the knockout race.
