On the last day of the Irani Cup at Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur, Yash Dhull and Vidarbha pace bowler Yash Thakur had an unsavoury moment that led to them nearly being involved in a fist fight. In the 63rd over, Thakur dismissed Dhull, who was playing for the Rest of India, with a short ball, and Dhull attempted a shot upper cut, but he was unable to connect, and Atharva Taide took a simple catch.
Given the high-pressure situation where Dhull had batted aggressively and almost brought his team to victory in his innings, Thakur’s exuberance was understandable. When Dhull was dismissed for 92 runs off 117 balls, his feeling in that moment caused enough drama for Thakur's teammates to have to take him away.
Thakur was even seen talking to the umpires, who suggested he'd possibly raised concerns against Dhull. Commentators quickly took aim at both players for losing their temper, with Vivek Razdan observing, “There was a bit of a tussle in the middle, as such was the atmosphere. But one should remember to know their limits. It is of utmost importance.”
Although there were some tense moments, Vidarbha kept their composure and came away with a victory under the leadership of Akshay Wadkar over the Rest of India by 93 runs. Dhull and Manav Suthar had mounted a late challenge with a partnership of 104 runs for the seventh wicket, which had temporarily shifted momentum back toward Rest of India.
However, the key wicket for Vidarbha, taken by Thakur, was that of Dhull, and he followed up with two more wickets, Anshul Kamboj, in consecutive balls. The last three wickets tumbled for a mere 30 runs, sealing a win for Vidarbha.
This victory represented Vidarbha's third Irani Cup title, previously winning this championship in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and shows their continued superiority in domestic cricket. Thakur's bowling and the team's calmness under pressure were the key factors behind this special victory.
