Agartala: Unfancied Tripura pulled off a stunning 133-run victory over former champions Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala on Thursday — one of the most surprising results in the tournament’s recent history.
Chasing an improbable 342 to win, Saurashtra were bowled out for 208 in their second innings, with off-spinner Sandip Sarkar and pacer Abhijit Sarkar sharing seven wickets between them. Sandip, who had taken 4 for 48 in the first innings, was again the wrecker-in-chief with 4 for 81, while Abhijit claimed 3 for 26. Arpit Vasavada, the only Saurashtra batter to pass fifty, fought for 89 from 189 balls before being the last man out, run out by Manisankar Murasingh to seal the win.
Tripura’s victory was built over four days. Their first innings of 268 was built on Sridam Paul’s 86, despite Parth Bhut’s 5 for 65 for Saurashtra. The reply was a collapse: Saurashtra, the former champions, were bundled out for 118, with Vasavada’s 38 the top score and Parvez Sultan taking 5 for 25. Tripura’s second innings of 191 — Paul again top-scoring with 50 against Chetan Sakariya’s 3 for 47 — set the target that proved far beyond Saurashtra on a wearing fourth-day pitch. Paul, who had made 86 in the first innings, was named player of the match for his twin fifties.
It was Tripura’s first win of the season from four matches, lifting them to seventh in the Group B table with six points, and it adds to their Elite-group wins over Himachal Pradesh and Goa in previous years. For Saurashtra, two-time champions and one of the most consistent sides in the competition, it was a humbling defeat — they had resumed the final day on 131 for 7, still needing 211, and lost their last three wickets without ever threatening the target.
The result is the standout upset of the round, which has already produced innings wins for Karnataka and Vidarbha. For Tripura, a side that has spent most of its history on the margins of the Elite group, it is a historic moment — and proof that in the Ranji Trophy, no fixture is a formality.
