Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Bihar rode opener Piyush Singh’s superb second-innings double century and sharp bowling spells from Suraj Kashyap and Himanshu Singh to crush Manipur by a massive 568 runs in the Plate final, sealing a triumphant return to the Ranji Trophy Elite Group on Monday. Bihar’s Ranji journey has been turbulent, with the side briefly breaking into the Elite Group in the 2022-23 season before slipping back to the Plate Group in 2024-25.Now back in the top tier, Bihar are pushing ahead with a rebuilding phase under skipper Sakibul Gani, bolstered by the promise of teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
On Monday, Bihar set Manipur a daunting target of 764 after Raghuvendra Pratap Singh fell agonisingly short of a century, dismissed for his overnight score of 90, prompting the declaration of the second innings at 505 for 6.After posting 522 in the first innings and dismissing Manipur for 264, Bihar wrapped up the match by bowling out their opponents for 195 in the second essay, with spinners Suraj Kumar Kashyap (3/32) and Himanshu Singh (3/49) picking up three wickets apiece on the fifth and final day.Skipper Gani (108) and Bipin Saurabh (143), who both struck fine centuries in the first innings, laid the foundation for the emphatic victory, before Piyush Singh followed it up with an unbeaten 216 off 322 balls in the second innings as Bihar piled on the runs against a hapless Manipur.Bihar declared after just nine balls on the final day, with Raghuvendra unable to add to the team’s overnight total of 505, prompting Gani to call an early declaration and give his side a full day to dismantle Manipur.The bowlers then left Manipur reeling at 50 for 5 inside 14 overs, a collapse that deepened to 70 for 7 by the 23rd, before a gritty 102-ball 74 from teenager Pheiroijam Jotin briefly held up Bihar’s charge.The 19-year-old Jotin later added 83 runs for the eighth wicket with L. Kishan Singha, who made 30 off 76 balls, as the pair momentarily threatened to deny Bihar an outright victory.However, once pacer Akash Raj removed Kishan Singha in the 44th over, the outcome became inevitable. Jotin fell a few overs later, bringing an end to the last resistance in Manipur’s batting.Earlier this month, Bihar had also earned promotion to the Elite League in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, defeating Manipur by six wickets in the final.Brief Scores:Bihar 522 and 505 for 6 decl (Piyush Singh 216, Raghuvendra Pratap Singh 90; Pheiroijam Jotin 3/85).Manipur 264 and 195 in 56.1 overs (Pheiroijam Jotin 74; Prashant Singh 2/51, S Kashyap 3/32, H Singh 3/49).
