Ranji Trophy: Andhra, Jharkhand advance to Quarterfinals from Group A

Defending champions Vidarbha finished their final group match with a four-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh , but it was not enough to secure a place in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals. Andhra and Jharkhand progressed from Group A on net run rate, finishing ahead of Vidarbha despite all three teams ending with 31 points from seven matches.

Chasing 201 for an outright win , Vidarbha were 91 for 4 on Saturday but bounced back on Sunday to complete the target in 58.2 overs for the loss of six wickets. Opener Aman Mokhade top-scored with 83 off 150 balls , while Danish Malewar contributed 54 off 89 deliveries . Left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma was the standout bowler for Uttar Pradesh with 4/55 .

Andhra secured the top spot in Group A with a cautious draw against Nagaland in Sovima. Resuming at 85 for 4 in their second innings, Nagaland were bowled out for 342 , with Chetan Bisht scoring 100 and Nagaho Chishi adding 79. Chasing 173 for the win , Andhra played it safe, finishing at 64 for 4 in 8.3 overs , knowing a draw was enough to top the group.

Hosts Jharkhand defeated Odisha by four wickets in Jamshedpur to claim the second quarterfinal spot. Odisha, resuming at 202 for 8 , folded for 226 , setting Jharkhand a target of 246 . Jharkhand achieved it in 71.3 overs , with key contributions from Sharandeep Singh (64), Robin Minz (63), and Anukul Roy (45).

Already out of contention, Tamil Nadu and Baroda played out a tame draw in their final game. Tamil Nadu, resuming at 411 for 7 , were all out for 449 , with opener Vimal Kumar scoring 182 . Baroda responded with 124 for no loss , with Shivalik Sharma (59 not out) and Jyotsnil Singh (55 not out) unbeaten.

Brief scores from other Group A matches included: Uttar Pradesh 237 & 200 lost to Vidarbha 237 & 201/6 in 58.2 overs (Vidarbha 6 pts, UP 0), Nagaland 366 & 342 drew with Andhra 536/9 decl & 64/4 in 8.3 overs (Andhra 3 pts, Nagaland 1), Odisha 282 & 226 lost to Jharkhand 263 & 249/6 in 71.3 overs (Jharkhand 6 pts, Odisha 0), and Baroda 375 & 124/0 drew with Tamil Nadu 449 (Tamil Nadu 3 pts, Baroda 1).

With Group A decided, Andhra and Jharkhand now look forward to the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals starting February 6, 2026 , leaving defending champions Vidarbha to regroup for next season.