KER vs GCC Ranji Trophy 2024-25 first semi-final was a red-ball classic with the pulsating battle going right down to the wire. The five-day final, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was about patience, resilience and top-notch domestic cricket. The game was drawn and Kerala made history by qualifying for the Ranji Trophy final on first innings lead.
Here’s the full map report with cards, scores and performance details.
Match Overview
- Match: Gujarat vs Kerala, 1st Semi-Final
- Tournament: Ranji Trophy 2024-25
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Dates: 17–21 February 2025
- Result: Match drawn
- Qualification: Kerala advanced to the final (first-innings lead)
First Innings
Batting Performance: Kerala – 457 All Out
| Batting | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate | |
| Akshay Chandran | run out (Aarya Desai/UM Patel) | 30 | 71 | 5 | 0 | 42.25 |
| Rohan Kunnummal | lbw b Ravi Bishnoi | 30 | 68 | 5 | 0 | 44.11 |
| Varun Nayanar | c UM Patel b Jadeja | 10 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 18.18 |
| Sachin Baby (c) | c Aarya Desai b Nagwaswalla | 69 | 195 | 8 | 0 | 35.38 |
| Jalaj Saxena | b Nagwaswalla | 30 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 36.14 |
| Mohammed Azharuddeen | not out | 177 | 341 | 20 | 1 | 51.9 |
| Salman Nizar | lbw b Vishal Jayswal | 52 | 202 | 4 | 1 | 25.74 |
| Ahammed Imran | c UM Patel b Nagwaswalla | 24 | 66 | 3 | 0 | 36.36 |
| Aditya Sarwate | b Gaja | 11 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 32.35 |
| MD Nidheesh | run out (sub [Kshitij Patel]/UM Patel) | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71.42 |
| Nedumankuzhy Basil | c Aarya Desai b Gaja | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Extras | (lb 14, nb 3, w 1) | 18 | ||||
| Total | 187 Ov (RR: 2.44) | 457 |
Bowling Performance: Gujarat
| Bowling | Over | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Chintan Gaja | 33 | 75 | 2 | 2.27 |
| Arzan Nagwaswalla | 34 | 81 | 3 | 2.38 |
| Priyajitsing Jadeja | 21 | 58 | 1 | 2.76 |
| Jaymeet Patel | 13 | 46 | 0 | 3.53 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 30 | 74 | 1 | 2.46 |
| Siddharth Desai | 33 | 49 | 0 | 1.48 |
| Vishal Jayswal | 22 | 57 | 1 | 2.59 |
| Aarya Desai | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Batting Performance: Gujarat – 455 All Out
| Batting | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate | |
| Priyank Panchal | b Jalaj S Saxena | 148 | 237 | 18 | 1 | 62.44 |
| Aarya Desai | b Basil | 73 | 118 | 11 | 1 | 61.86 |
| Manan Hingrajia | lbw b Jalaj S Saxena | 33 | 127 | 3 | 0 | 25.98 |
| Urvil Patel | st Mohammed Azharuddeen b Jalaj S Saxena | 25 | 43 | 3 | 0 | 58.13 |
| Hemang Patel | c sub (S Roger) b Nidheesh | 27 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 65.85 |
| Jaymeet Patel | st Mohammed Azharuddeen b Sarwate | 79 | 177 | 2 | 0 | 44.63 |
| Chintan Gaja (c) | lbw b Jalaj S Saxena | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14.28 |
| Vishal Jayswal | c Basil b Sarwate | 14 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Siddharth Desai | lbw b Sarwate | 30 | 164 | 1 | 0 | 18.29 |
| Arzan Nagwaswalla | c Sachin Baby b Sarwate | 10 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 20.83 |
| Priyajitsing Jadeja | not out | 3 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Extras | (b 9, lb 2) | 11 | ||||
| Total | 174.4 Ov (RR: 2.60) | 455 |
Bowling Performance: Kerala
| Bowling | Over | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| MD Nidheesh | 23 | 86 | 1 | 3.73 |
| Jalaj Saxena | 71 | 149 | 4 | 2.09 |
| Nedumankuzhy Basil | 22 | 59 | 1 | 2.68 |
| Aditya Sarwate | 45.4 | 111 | 4 | 2.43 |
| Akshay Chandran | 12 | 36 | 0 | 3 |
| Ahammed Imran | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2nd Innings
Batting Performance: Kerala – 114/4 Declared
| Batting | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate | |
| Rohan Kunnummal | lbw b Desai | 32 | 69 | 2 | 2 | 46.37 |
| Akshay Chandran | c sub (HM Patel) b Desai | 9 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 26.47 |
| Varun Nayanar | lbw b Hingrajia | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 9.09 |
| Jalaj Saxena | not out | 37 | 90 | 7 | 0 | 41.11 |
| Sachin Baby (c) | lbw b Hingrajia | 10 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 52.63 |
| Ahammed Imran | not out | 14 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 24.56 |
| Extras | (b 5, lb 2, nb 4) | 11 | ||||
| Total | 46 Ov (RR: 2.47) | 114/4 |
Bowling Performance: Gujarat
| Bowling | Over | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Siddharth Desai | 21 | 45 | 2 | 2.14 |
| Vishal Jayswal | 15 | 40 | 0 | 2.66 |
| Manan Hingrajia | 10 | 22 | 2 | 2.2 |
Final Result & Qualification Scenario
- Match Result: Draw
- First-Innings Lead: Kerala by 2 runs
- Qualified for Final: Kerala
The narrow first-innings lead proved decisive, as Kerala advanced to their maiden Ranji Trophy final, marking a historic moment for the team and their supporters.
Player of the Match
Mohammed Azharuddeen (Kerala) – (177-run innings)
Key Takeaways from the Match
- Kerala’s middle-order depth, and patience were the differentiators.
- Gujarat failed to qualify by a margin of one point
- Mohammed Azharuddeen made it his game-defining innings
- It was a game that underlined the value of first innings leads in knockout cricket
Conclusion
The Just concluded Gujarat vs Kerala Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semi-final was a case in point of why domestic cricket is still the lifeline of Indian cricket. Only two wickets from victory and two runs away from despair, Kerala showed that they had a spine of steel and made history by storming into their maiden Ranji Trophy final. Gujarat however won praise for the pluck and consistency they showed despite their heartbreak.
This will go down as one of the closest and toughest Ranji Trophy semi-finals in recent times.
