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India’s most coveted domestic competition the Ranji Trophy saw Karnataka clinch their seventh title by beating Maharashtra emphatically on this very day in 2014. Courtesy of the win in the finale, Vinay Kumar’s side became the second most successful side in the competition’s history, joining Delhi with seven titles each to their name.

Maharashtra won the toss and elected to bat first in the title bout at the

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Rohit Motwani’s decision to bat first in the finale backfired as the Karnataka pace trio of Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, and Sreenath Aravind claimed the early advantage for their side.

Despite half-centuries from Chirag Khurana, Ankit Bawne, and Sangram Atitkar, Maharastra could only manage a par score of 305 runs in their first innings as the Karnataka bowlers reigned supreme in the early stages of the final. Following an assured performance by their bowlers, Karnataka started their reply on the front foot as their top three batters registered a half-century each.

KL Rahul and Ganesh Satish shone brightly for their side with magnificent tons, propelling their side to a massive 515 runs on the board. Maharastra needed a miraculous batting effort in their second innings to make a comeback into the contest. However, Kedhar Jadhav was the only batter who showed some fight with a brisk 112 off just 135 deliveries. Jadhav’s exploits helped his side to a decent score of 366 runs, setting a target of 157 runs for Karnataka.

The experienced duo of Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul saw off the new ball to give Karnataka the edge in the chase, stitching a solid 65 runs stand for the first wicket. However, both batters departed in quick succession to hand a glimmer of hope to the opposition bowlers. 

But a brisk cameo from Amit Verma, followed by assured innings from Indian internationals Manish Pandey and Karun Nair, guided their side to a record seventh Ranji Trophy title. Nair finished things off in style, hitting a maximum to seal his side’s victory. Karnataka were successful in defending their title the following year, becoming the second most successful side in the competition history with eight titles to their name.