Bihar registered a commanding all-round performance to crush Manipur by 568 runs in the Ranji Trophy Plate 2025\u201326 final at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, clinching the Plate title and earning promotion to the Elite Group next season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Batting first, Bihar piled up 522, led by Bipin Saurabh\u2019s 143 and Gani\u2019s 108, with Suraj Kashyap adding 83. Manipur replied with 264, Ronald Longjam top-scoring with 79, as Bihar took a big first-innings lead, a phase Gani felt proved decisive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cManipur had a very good start, but the partnership between Bipin and me eased the pressure on us a bit. After that, our bowlers bowled really well and restricted them to around 200\u2013250 runs (264), which gave us a good lead and put us in a strong position,\u201d Gani told IANS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the conditions, the Bihar skipper acknowledged Manipur\u2019s early dominance with the ball and credited his lower order for turning the game around.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTalking about the wicket, when we came in to bat first, the pitch was helpful for the bowlers. Our batting was steady, but we were 80\/5 at one stage, and Manipur bowled very well then. Still, our lower-order batsmen came together, handled the situation, kept the momentum going, and took us past 500 runs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bihar then tightened their grip in the second innings, declaring at 505\/6 on the back of Piyush Singh\u2019s unbeaten 216, supported by Raghuvendra Pratap Singh (90) and Khalid Alam (81). Set an improbable target of 764, Manipur were bowled out for 195, with Bihar\u2019s bowlers, led by Suraj Kashyap and Himanshu Singh, sealing a massive 568-run victory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The chase proved too steep for Manipur, who were bundled out for 195, as Bihar\u2019s bowlers once again dominated to complete one of the biggest wins in Ranji Trophy Plate history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
On qualifying for the Elite Group, Gani stressed that Bihar would stick to the same approach that brought them success in the Plate Group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJust like we played in the Plate Group, we want to play the same way in the Elite Group. We are going there to win. We will play well and come back with victories. All the teams in the Elite Group are strong, and we will also give our best performances.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The captain also highlighted Bihar\u2019s recent performances at the top level, dismissing the notion that the team struggles in elite competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFor the last two years, we were already in the Elite Group and won two matches each season. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we even defeated UP. It\u2019s not like we always lose there. Every year, we win two matches but miss out on points. That\u2019s why this year we dropped down a bit, but now we\u2019ve climbed back up to the Elite Group.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The captain also highlighted Bihar\u2019s recent performances at the top level, dismissing the notion that the team struggles in elite competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBCA helped us a lot. About a week before the final, they organised a camp for us, and we are now seeing the results. Everyone had been working hard for a week in advance,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n