Railways on Monday etched their name into the history books as the team completed the highest successful run-chase in the Ranji Trophy in the Elite Group C match against Tripura. In pursuit of a mammoth 378, Upendra Yadav's side went on to record a come-from-behind win at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala in its last game of the season.
Railways were in trouble in most parts of the game. Even though they bowled Tripura out for 149, they conceded a 45-run trail after getting bowled out for 105. Tripura made 333 in the second innings, setting a 378-run target for Upendra's men, who in the chase were 31/3 but reached home with five wickets in hand.
This is now the highest successful run chase in the Ranji Trophy history, breaking Saurashtra's four-year-old record of 372, which they achieved against Uttar Pradesh.
Highest successful run chases in Ranji Trophy history:
Railways - 378/5 vs Tripura in 2024
Saurashtra - 372/5 vs Uttar Pradesh in 2019-20
Assam - 371/4 vs Services in 2008-09
Rajasthan - 360/4 vs Vidarbha in 1989-90
Uttar Pradesh - 359/4 vs Maharashtra in 2021-22
How the things unfolded
Railways looked out of the game in both the innings but centuries from Pratham Singh and Mohammad Saif in the run-chase helped the team record a famous win. Chasing 378, they were 31/3 medium pacer Manisankar Murasingh scalping two of those. Pratham Singh, however, kept the fight going. After the fall of three wickets, he found a partner in Mohammad Saif, both of whom put up a 175-run stand for the 4th wicket to bring the team to 206 and more than halfway within the reach of the target. Saif was the aggressor as he made 106 from 126 before falling victim to Bikramjit Debnath.
However, Singh held his end up firmly and notched a 118-run stand with Arindam Ghosh for the 5th wicket. Despite Ghosh falling when the team needed 54, Railways crossed the finish line without any further loss with Singh going unbeaten at 169.
In the first innings, pacer Yuvraj Singh's four-wicket haul helped Railways restrict Tripura to 149 with Sridam Paul being the highest run-scorer (71) of the innings. Railways kept losing wickets in their first innings and Murasingh's fifer bowled them out for 105. Despite all the odds, Railways scripted history but were out of contention for qualifying further in Group C.
