Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Vidarbha announce team; Akshay Wadkar to captain

The seventeen-member Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024–25 has been revealed.

Left-handed top-order batsman Atharva Taide has been appointed as Vidarbha’s deputy, and wicketkeeper-batter Akshay Wadkar will lead the team. Star batsman Karun Nair is also a member of the team; Vidarbha’s key positions include Harsh Dubey and Akshay Karnewar. It’s important to note that Nair played for Vidarbha in the previous season and was their leading scorer.

Because veteran batsman Faiz Fazal declared last year that he was retiring from domestic cricket, Yash Rathod will be a vital southpaw in Faiz Fazal’s place.

Red-ball cricket action will feature Umesh Yadav once more.

The team’s most seasoned international player, star pacer Umesh Yadav, will lead the 2023–24 finals’ pace assault while Aditya Thakare will provide support on the other end. The most notable bowler that Vidarbha will miss out on is Aditya Sarvate, who will be joining Kerala for the upcoming season. Sarvate disclosed the reason behind his exit from the team, citing a disagreement with the coaches.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Everything you need know about upcoming tournament

Vidarbha will have Usman Ghani as their head coach and Atul Ranade as his assistant. The whole coaching staff for the next edition was also revealed by the state association.

Vidarbha squad for Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Akshay Wadkar (captain and wicketkeeper), Atharva Taide (vice-captain), Aman Mokhade, Yash Rathod, Yash Kadam, Harsh Dubey, Akshay Karnewar, Aditya Thakare, Shubham Kapse, Nachiket Bhute, Siddhesh Wath (wicketkeeper), Praful Hinge, Danish Malewar, Umesh Yadav, Mandar Mahale, Karun Nair

Coaching Staff: Usman Ghani (head coach), Atul Ranade (assistant coach), Yuvraj Singh Dasondhi (strength & conditioning coach), Nitin Khurana (physio), Aniruddha Deshpande (video analyst), Rajsingh Chandel (masseur), Yash Thorat (side-arm ball thrower), Jitendra Dharbhe (manager)

Vidarbha Schedule for Ranji Trophy 2024-25

The next season will see Vidarbha, the runners-up in the Ranji Trophy competition, try to win the championship. The match versus Andhra in Round 1 will take place at the VCA Ground in Civil Lines, Nagpur. Vidarbha’s home matches in Elite Group B will end against Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Hyderabad at the same stadium. They have away matches scheduled against Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Puducherry throughout the stages.