THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala stormed into the knockout round of the Ranji Trophy by beating Bihar by an innings and 169 runs. Bihar, batting in response to Kerala’s first-innings total of 351, was bundled out for just 64 runs in their first innings. Following on, Bihar could only manage 118 runs in their second innings, paving the way for Kerala’s qualification to the quarter-finals. Kerala’s victory was powered by Salman Nizar, who scored a brilliant 150 runs, and Jalaj Saxena, who took ten wickets across both innings.

Kerala resumed their innings on the second day at 302/9 and managed to extend their total to 351. Salman Nizar, who continued from his century, received solid support from Vaishakh Chandran, who remained unbeaten on 5 off 54 balls. Salman Nizar, who notched up his maiden Ranji Trophy century, was eventually dismissed for 150 runs. For Bihar, Harsh Vikram Singh, Ghulam Rabbani, and Sachin Kumar Singh each took two wickets.

Bihar’s batting lineup crumbled against Kerala’s bowlers. Vaishakh Chandran provided the early breakthrough by dismissing opener Mehrur. Bihar, who were at 40/1, lost nine wickets for just 24 additional runs, collapsing to a mere 64 runs in their first innings. Jalaj Saxena was the standout bowler, claiming five wickets.

Following on, Bihar’s batsmen struggled yet again. The spin duo of Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate dismantled the batting order, restricting Bihar to just 118 runs in their second innings. Saxena took another five-wicket haul, while Sarwate contributed with three wickets. Salman Nizar was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.

This innings victory ensured Kerala’s quarter-final qualification even before the completion of other group-stage matches. Before the final round, Haryana topped the group with 26 points, followed by Kerala with 21 and Karnataka with 19. With this victory over Bihar, Kerala’s points tally rose to 27, making it impossible for Karnataka to catch up, even if they defeated Haryana in their final match.

Kerala qualified for the knockouts after surpassing teams like Haryana, Karnataka, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab. Kerala remained unbeaten in the group stage, winning three matches and drawing four. The last time Kerala reached the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy was in 2019.