Madhya Pradesh played a great resurgent campaign in 1999 to come to finals for the first time in a Ranji Trophy season. Then Chandrakant Pandit couldn’t take them to the victory against strong Karnataka. Half of the Karnataka state team got selected to Indian National Team and the selectors realised their mistake but that is the kind of aura Karnataka team set in 1999 and Madhya Pradesh could just succumb to the pressure.
Mumbai with great history behind it and with some players who have represented India in International team Cricket playing for it, many expected it to win their 42nd Trophy. But MP with same Chandrakant Pandit as coach again approached the season with sincerity and this time they had talents like Subham Sharma, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal to bat them out of trouble. Decent bowling attack to challenge any side is also on their side.
All it required is that these players to play as a team at the right time in the final. They did and they won the final for the first time in history. Madhya Pradesh have become the champions of Ranji Trophy for the first time in 2022. Mumbai batsmen tried to bat aggressively to hit MP out of the match after conceding more than 130 runs lead in first innings.
Their aggression gave Kartikeya wickets and MP had to chase 108 to win the title. Rajat Patidar hit the winning runs for his team while Shubam Sharma played to set it up. Chandrakant Pandit seemed highly emotional after the win and no one couldn’t wipe off smile from his face. Chak De India, doesn’t reamun a story in screen, it keeps happening in real life again & again, doesn’t it!