Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Mumbai out, Gujarat, Saurashtra qualify for knockouts

Rajkot, Feb 8:  Gujarat and Saurashtra qualified for the knockouts, but the shock of the day was multiple time champions Mumbai being knocked out of the Ranji Trophy after the fourth and final day of the eighth round Ranji Trophy matches on Friday.

Kerala, who have been poor, will be relegated to Group C next season.

Chasing 292 for a win, Gujarat were 128/2 with Manprit Juneja batting on 51 and Bhargav Merai on 42 when it was decided to call it a draw.

Gujarat pocketed three points based on their first innings lead and not only reached the top of the points table in the combined Group A and B but also became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals this season.

Saurashtra also joined Gujarat to qualify for the quarterfinals after Kamlesh Makvana (31* off 116) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (33* off 125) dug deep for almost 40 overs.

Mumbai were on course for a win at one stage with their spinners reducing Saurashtra to 83/7 with a session and a half to go.

But Makvana and Jadeja showed grit of the highest order to see off the day.

Mumbai tried seven bowlers but couldn't get those last three wickets that could have kept them in the race for the playoffs.

Kerala were relegated to Group C as they finished their campaign on ten points after there was no play for two successive days in Nagpur where they were playing against the defending champions Vidarbha.

Kerala are placed second from the bottom on the combined Group A and B points table and are, therefore, confirmed to be relegated to Group C in the next edition.

Elsewhere, Railways failed to secure a victory against Himachal Pradesh, after the latter were 262 in the first innings, but made up with 165/3 in their second.

Amit Kumar hit an unbeaten 71 with captain Ankit Kalsi keeping him company on 27.

MD Rahmatullah scored an unbeaten 113, his second hundred of the match, as Bihar chased down 224 against Arunachal Pradesh, who remain winless after eight games despite having the tournament's highest-scorer in Rahul Dalal in their side.

Delhi and Gujarat settled for a draw as Bengal beat Rajasthan by two wickets riding Shahbaz Ahmed's brilliant unbeaten 61.