Bengal vs Saurashtra, Final - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

So, here’s the glory moment! Unadkat lifts the trophy and calls Vasavada to lift the trophy as well. Vasavada was the stand-in captain for Saurashtra when Unadkat was not around. The Saurashtra players pose for photographs with the Ranji Trophy. There’s a lot of joy in the air for the visiting team! So, that’s it from us for the 2022-23 season. We hope you enjoyed our coverage. Till then, goodbye and cheers!

Unadkat (3/3): I love playing for Saurashtra. It is so close to my heart. I would like to congratulate Bengal for their amazing show. They reached the final against us last time (2020). They played the semifinal (2022) and then the final again (2023). It's an absolutely brilliant achievement for you guys as well. I am sure with the group that they have they will keep fighting to win this trophy. Like Manoj said it is a contest between the Lion and Tiger and I hope it will be a repeat of the final, hopefully in Rajkot next time. I would like to call Arpit with me to lift the trophy because he led the team when I wasn't there.

Unadkat (2/3): Everyone has stood up when the team has required. It's not just about one or two individuals. Yes I have been leading for the last 4-5 years and been able to set the tone, but it's up to the guys to take it up their sleeve and achieve whatever goals we set for the team. It's a team achievement in the truest sense I would say. Not just the team, the guys behind the scenes - the association, selectors, families. Family plays a huge role in supporting us. We are really glad to win this not for ourselves, but for everyone who have equally wished us to win this trophy. We have worked smartly and improved in the areas we had to, so that's why we have been successful.

Jaydev Unadkat | Saurashtra captain (1/2): Championships are not won by one or 2-3 games. It's a long season. It began when we started the white ball season. We didn't win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but we were able to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VH). When we got together for the Ranji Trophy there was one huddle before the start of the season. I told them yes we have won VH but the big one (Ranji) is waiting for us, if you want to win that we have to work really hard and I am absolutely proud of the guys for what we have been able to achieve twice in three years now. That is the secret of our success I would say (core of the team remaining the same). Lot of stability in the team. Comes with performances.

Arpit Vasavada | Player of the Tournament: There is no secret. When the team needed me, I performed and I feel lucky for that. My strength is my defensive technique and I focus on that and don’t go for too many shots. Whenever needed, everyone did well and that is why we won. We were confident, last time I also performed well and this time I performed very well in the final, so I am very happy that whenever the team needed me, I stood tall.

Manoj Tiwary | Bengal captain: It has been a great season for us, before saying anything, want to congratulate Saurashtra and Unadkat on winning the trophy. Want to congratulate BCCI as well for organising the event so well. It all started from Day 1. The moisture on the wicket was difficult for our batters to show our skill-set. It was not up to the mark although we tried our level best. The toss became a bit of a factor but after that we were never in the game. On 3rd Day, two sessions we were in the game. They bowled really well and batted really well. Their combination is such that when you think of getting quick 9 or 10 batter out but when we go back and see the score of such players, they score a lot of runs. They are a solid team. (On Shahbaz Ahmed's run-out) Lot of things have proved costly. We wanted to build a partnership but unfortunately, it was my mistake. I didn't see the ball and when I saw the ball it was too late. I said sorry to him and sorry to all Bengal cricket lovers. (On this season) It was heartening to see our fast bowlers bowl and the way our batters batted, the coaching staff as well. It was one of those games where we didn't use our skill-set as required. There are always positives and we will discuss in the dressing room, we will work on those areas that need to be improved. In the battle of Tigers and Lions, the Lions have won this time. But next time, we will be much better prepared.

There was no miracle on Day 4 as Unadkat was on a league of his own this morning. He finished with a 6-fer and rattled the opposition. The run-out of Shahbaz was a big moment in the game and after that, Bengal couldn't recover from there. Tiwary also departed soon after. The Saurashtra skipper was too good for the lower order and ran through them. The last pair did frustrate the visitors a bit and that meant that Bengal got into the lead, setting a target of 12 for Saurashtra. They lost a wicket but Harvik hit the winning runs and the entire Saurashtra camp went into frenzy. Stick around for the presentations..

Saurashtra were brilliant with the bat as well. The home side bowlers weren't disciplined initially and the batters made merry. Fifties from Harvik, Vasavada, Jackson, and Chirag pushed Bengal further on the back foot. Bengal did fightback at the fag end of the innings but it was too late. Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, as he picked up a 4-fer. Saurashtra got a lead of 230 runs and were in a dominant position by then. The hosts slipped into trouble further as they lost three early wickets but Anustup and Tiwary gave them a glimmer of hope with a 99-run stand for the 4th wicket. Unadkat got the better of Anustup and then Shahbaz played a useful hand but they were still playing the chasing game.

11:12 Local Time, 05:42 GMT, 11:12 IST: The players in the Saurashtra camp have beaming smiles on their faces! Saurashtra have won the coveted Ranji Trophy for the second time in the last three seasons and they have just once again proved why they are a force to reckon with in the domestic circuit. Joy for Saurashtra and dejection for Bengal. Earlier in the game, Bengal were put into bat in testing conditions and they were caught off-guard on the first morning itself. Unadkat and Sakariya breathed fire with the ball and broke the backbone of the opposition batting lineup. Shahbaz and Abishek Porel did stitch a 101-run stand for the seventh wicket but the damage was already done. The visitors came back and cleaned the tail quickly to bundle Bengal out for a paltry total.

Mukesh Kumar to Harvik Desai, FOUR, that's it! There's the winning moment and the Saurashtra players rush in towards Desai and Jadeja! An amazing performance from Saurashtra and they deserve every bit of it! Short ball on off, pulled away in a controlled manner through square leg for a boundary

Mukesh Kumar to Vishvaraj Jadeja, 1 run, full ball down leg, clipped to fine leg for a single

Mukesh Kumar to Vishvaraj Jadeja, FOUR, Saurashtra just one boundary away now! He pushes at a length ball and gets a thick outside edge between second slip and gully and the ball races away

Mukesh Kumar to Vishvaraj Jadeja, no run, full ball on middle and leg, eased towards mid-on

Akash Deep to Harvik Desai, no run, seams in nicely from a length well outside off, left alone

Akash Deep to Vishvaraj Jadeja, 1 run, hangs back to the back of a length ball and works it through mid-wicket for a single

Akash Deep to Vishvaraj Jadeja, no run, Jadeja walks across his stumps and tries to defend it but gets it off the outer half towards backward point

Akash Deep to Vishvaraj Jadeja, no run, pitched up ball on leg, flicked to mid-wicket

Akash Deep to Vishvaraj Jadeja, FOUR, pitched up ball outside off, Jadeja pushes at it but edges it past third slip to pick up a boundary. Saurashtra are only 8 runs away now

Vishvaraj Jadeja, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Akash Deep to Jay Gohil, out Caught by Gharami!! Something to cheer for Bengal! A brilliant ball to get rid of Gohil. It is in the corridor of uncertainty and seams away appreciably. Gohil has to play at it and ends up edging it towards Gharami at second slip who takes a sharp catch. Jay Gohil c Gharami b Akash Deep 0(1)