Kerala’s cricket team did something amazing. They reached the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in 74 years. The team played against Gujarat in Ahmedabad. The game went down to the last moment, and one player’s helmet will now be a special memory.
Gujarat needed just a few runs to win or tie the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semifinal game against Kerala. Kerala needed one wicket. The score was very close. Gujarat’s last batsman hit the ball hard. The ball hit Salman Nizar’s helmet at short leg. Then, the captain, Sachin Baby, caught the ball at the first slip and Kerala won their place for the first time ever in the Ranji Trophy final.
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) said they will put Nizar’s helmet in a frame. They want to remember this special moment. Nizar had a tough time. He got hit on the helmet and had to go to the hospital. But his bravery helped the team win.
This win is a big deal for Kerala. People have been dreaming of this for a long time. The team will now play in the final in Nagpur. Before Kerala was formed in 1956, people in places like Thalassery and Tripunithura loved cricket. Now, their dream came true.
Nizar also played a key role in the quarter-final against Jammu and Kashmir. He and Basil Thampi helped the team get a small lead. The team felt they could win even when things looked bad.
Kerala’s coach, Amay Khurasiya, talked to the spinners, Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarvate. They made a plan to defend the lead. The fitness trainer, Vysakh Krishna, said Khurasiya helped the players stay calm. Khurasiya even wrote the number ‘2’ on his wrist. He said the team would get a lead of either six or two runs. He was right.
Saxena and Sarvate bowled well. They helped Kerala make history. Krishna said the coach changed the team’s mindset. Before, the team celebrated just reaching the quarter-finals. Now, they want to win the whole thing.
Gujarat’s batsmen tried hard to stop Kerala’s spinners. They played carefully. Baby thought they would lose when he dropped a catch. But then, the wicketkeeper, Mohammed Azharuddeen, stumped a batsman. Sarvate took more wickets.
Gujarat’s last batsman tried to score runs. He played 30 balls. Then, Nagwaswalla hit the ball. Nizar’s helmet stopped it. Kerala won. This win means a lot to Kerala. The team played well and never gave up. Nizar’s helmet will be a reminder of their amazing victory.
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