Ranji Trophy 2022 Final: Underdogs Madhya Pradesh stunned the cricketing world by defeating heavyweights Mumbai by 6 wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2022 final. Madhya Pradesh had a paltry target of 108 runs to chase for their historic win. The team chased down the target inside 30 overs to extend Mumbai’s hunt for the 42nd title by another year. The tournament saw resurgence of Sarfraz Khan, who was having a torrid time during the course of his entire IPL career. Yashasvi Jaiswal too has been a bright show, and Rajat Patidar, experiencing arguably the best 12 months of his cricketing career, hit the purple patch for both Madhya Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Madhya Pradesh’s incredible run this year isn't the only journey worth remembering in history of one of India's oldest domestic cricket tournaments. Many underdogs over the years have attained glory over the decades in this tournament. Here are the teams alongside Madhya Pradesh that have won the Ranji Trophy title only once:
- Western India (1944)
- Saurashtra (2020)
- Uttar Pradesh/United Provinces (2006)
- Punjab/Southern Punjab (1993)
- Nawanagar (1937)
- Haryana (1991)
- Gujarat (2017)
Let’s hope the cricketing world gets to see one more title being added to the collection of an incredible and consistent Madhya Pradesh team, and they may not end up with just one title just like the aforementioned.
Madhya Pradesh captain Aditya Shrivastava, after winning the summit clash, said, “It's been a generation. We are extremely emotional. This was my first year as captain, and all I have learned is from Chandrakant sir. I would like to continue this. It's a very good group coming through.”