Vidarbha vs Kerala Cricket Timeline: Complete Head-to-Head Record (2002–2025)

The Vidarbha vs Kerala cricket timeline stretches back to 2002- and in just 11 confirmed meetings, it has produced one of the most quietly compelling storylines in Indian domestic cricket. From Kerala winning early group-stage encounters to Vidarbha dismantling them by 412 runs in a knockout, and finally to a championship final settled by just 37 runs- this rivalry has compressed enormous drama into a short history. Vidarbha lead the overall head-to-head 5-3, with 3 draws, across 11 confirmed meetings in Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy cricket between 2002 and 2025. In Ranji Trophy knockout cricket, Vidarbha are unbeaten- winning both the 2017-18 quarter-final and the 2024-25 final. Vidarbha and Kerala have met 11 confirmed times across all formats between 2002 and 2025. Vidarbha led overall with 5 wins to Kerala’s 3, while 3 matches ended in draws. In first-class Ranji Trophy cricket, Vidarbha lead 3-2 with 3 draws. In Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 cricket, Vidarbha lead 2-1. Kerala’s only Ranji Trophy wins came in 2002 and 2007 group-stage matches- both in Nagpur. In every knockout match, Vidarbha have won.

Overall Head-to-Head Summary

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Metric	Record
Total confirmed meetings (all formats)	11
Vidarbha wins	5
Kerala wins	3
Draws	3
First meeting	December 2002, Nagpur
Most recent meeting	December 2025, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Ranji Trophy (all results)	Vidarbha 3- Kerala 2- Drawn 3
Ranji Trophy knockout record	Vidarbha 2- Kerala 0
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20)	Vidarbha 2- Kerala 1

Vidarbha vs Kerala Cricket Timeline: All Confirmed Matches (2002–2025)

The vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team timeline across formats shows a clear pattern- Kerala were competitive in the early years, Vidarbha took control from 2017 onwards, and the gap has narrowed dramatically without fully closing.

Date	Tournament	Format	Venue	Winner	Result
Dec 2002	Ranji Trophy	First-Class	Nagpur	Kerala	Kerala won by runs
Nov 2006	Ranji Trophy	First-Class	Palakkad	Draw	Match drawn
Nov 2007	Ranji Trophy	First-Class	Nagpur	Kerala	Kerala won by runs
Nov 2010	Ranji Trophy	First-Class	Malappuram	Draw	Match drawn
Nov 2011	Ranji Trophy	First-Class	Nagpur	Draw	Match drawn
Mar 2013	Syed Mushtaq Ali	T20	Indore	Vidarbha	Vidarbha 138/5 def Kerala 111
Jan 2016	Syed Mushtaq Ali	T20	Wankhede, Mumbai	Kerala	Kerala 109/8 def Vidarbha 105
Dec 2017	Ranji Trophy QF	First-Class	Surat	Vidarbha	Won by 412 runs
Nov 2019	Syed Mushtaq Ali	T20	Thiruvananthapuram	Kerala	Won by 26 runs
Feb–Mar 2025	Ranji Trophy Final	First-Class	Nagpur	Vidarbha	Won on 1st innings lead (37 runs)
Dec 2025	Syed Mushtaq Ali	T20	—	Vidarbha	Won by 6 wickets

Head-to-Head Record by Format

The vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team timeline looks different depending on which format you examine. Vidarbha’s dominance is concentrated in four-day red-ball cricket. Kerala have been competitive in T20 encounters.

Ranji Trophy (First-Class)

Metric	Record
Total matches	8
Vidarbha wins	3
Kerala wins	2
Draws	3
Vidarbha knockout record	Won 2, Lost 0
Highest team total	Vidarbha 572/7 declared (Nagpur, Nov 2011)
Highest Kerala total	431 (Nagpur, Nov 2011)

Kerala won 2 of the first 4 first-class meetings. Since Vidarbha’s title-winning era began in 2017, they have not lost a single red-ball match against Kerala– winning both knockout encounters and recording draws in the remaining group fixtures.

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Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20)

Metric	Record
Total matches	3
Vidarbha wins	2
Kerala wins	1
Kerala’s only T20 win	Nov 2019, Thiruvananthapuram (by 26 runs)
Most recent result	Dec 2025- Vidarbha won by 6 wickets

T20 cricket tells a different story. Kerala have shown they can match and beat Vidarbha in shorter formats, suggesting the first-class gap between these sides is larger than the overall head-to-head numbers suggest.

Rivalry Records and Key Statistics

Record	Holder	Performance	Match
Highest individual score	Danish Malewar	153	Ranji Final, Nagpur, Feb 2025
Highest score by Kerala player	Sachin Baby	98	Ranji Final, Nagpur, Feb 2025
Best second innings	Karun Nair	132*	Ranji Final, Nagpur, Feb 2025
Best bowling in one innings	Aditya Sarwate	6 wickets	Ranji QF, Surat, Dec 2017
Largest winning margin	Vidarbha	412 runs	Ranji QF, Surat, Dec 2017
Narrowest winning margin	Vidarbha	37 runs (1st innings lead)	Ranji Final, Nagpur, Feb 2025
Highest team total	Vidarbha	572/7 declared	Ranji Group, Nagpur, Nov 2011

Top Performers Across All Meetings

The performances that have defined this rivalry reveal something important- Vidarbha’s match-winners have been consistent across both major knockout encounters, while Kerala have relied on individual brilliance without enough collective firepower.

Player	Team	Match	Performance
Danish Malewar	Vidarbha	2025 Ranji Final, Nagpur	153 (1st innings) + 73 (2nd innings)
Karun Nair	Vidarbha	2025 Ranji Final, Nagpur	86 (1st innings) + 132* (2nd innings)
Faiz Fazal	Vidarbha	2017 Ranji QF, Surat	Double century- 1st innings anchor
Sachin Baby	Kerala	2025 Ranji Final, Nagpur	98- highest Kerala score in the final
Aditya Sarwate (for Vidarbha)	Vidarbha	2017 Ranji QF, Surat	6 wickets in Kerala’s 2nd innings
Aditya Sarwate (for Kerala)	Kerala	2025 Ranji Final, Nagpur	79 runs + 4 wickets in Vidarbha’s 2nd innings

The Sarwate factor is unique in this rivalry. He dismantled Kerala for Vidarbha in 2017, then fought hard for Kerala against Vidarbha in 2025- appearing on both sides of the same fixture, eight years apart. No other player in this timeline occupies that position.

Venue-by-Venue Record

The venue data in the vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team timeline exposes a clear pattern- Vidarbha’s decisive wins have always come on neutral or away ground, while Nagpur surprisingly favours neither side.

Venue	Matches	Vidarbha Wins	Kerala Wins	Draws
Nagpur (Vidarbha home)	5	1	1	3
Surat (neutral)	1	1	0	0
Palakkad (Kerala home)	1	0	0	1
Malappuram / Wayanad	1	0	0	1
Thiruvananthapuram	1	0	1	0
Wankhede, Mumbai	1	0	1	0
Indore (neutral)	1	1	0	0

Nagpur has produced more draws than decisive results in this rivalry. Vidarbha’s two biggest knockout wins- the 412-run demolition in Surat and the championship-winning first-innings lead in the 2025 final- both came when they were effectively playing in front of a national audience on high-stakes stages.

Match-by-Match Analysis

Dec 2002- Ranji Trophy, Nagpur: Kerala’s First Win

Kerala defeated Vidarbha in Nagpur in the earliest confirmed meeting between these two sides. This was a group-stage Ranji Trophy encounter, and Kerala’s win established early that this was not a one-sided rivalry. The result is significant in the context of the full vidarbha vs kerala cricket timeline because it shows how dramatically the balance of power shifted once Vidarbha built their title-winning machine.

Nov 2006- Ranji Trophy, Palakkad: Kerala’s Home Draw

Playing at home in Palakkad, Kerala held Vidarbha to a draw. No team was able to force a result, and the match underlined the parity between the sides in this era.

Nov 2007- Ranji Trophy, Nagpur: Kerala Win Again

Kerala recorded their second first-class win over Vidarbha- again in Nagpur. Both of Kerala’s Ranji Trophy victories came at Vidarbha’s home venue, before Vidarbha’s squad transformation under captain Faiz Fazal and coach Chandrakant Pandit.

Nov 2010 and Nov 2011- Two Consecutive Draws

Consecutive group-stage fixtures produced draws- first in Malappuram (2010), then in Nagpur (2011). The November 2011 Nagpur match saw Vidarbha post 572/7 declared, their highest total against Kerala. Despite the massive total, Vidarbha could not force a result- Kerala responded with 431 in the first innings. Both matches ended level.

Mar 2013- Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indore: Vidarbha Win the First T20 Meeting

Vidarbha posted 138/5 against Kerala’s 111 in Indore- a straightforward win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This was Vidarbha’s first win over Kerala in any format.

Jan 2016- Syed Mushtaq Ali, Wankhede: Kerala Level the T20 Record

At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Kerala chased down Vidarbha’s modest total of 105, reaching 109/8. A two-wicket win under pressure levelled the T20 head-to-head and demonstrated Kerala’s improving chasing ability in close-finish cricket.

Dec 2017- Ranji Trophy Quarter-Final, Surat: The 412-Run Verdict

This is the match that most people associate with the vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team timeline– and with good reason. Kerala played their first Ranji knockout match in the post-tier era and were completely outclassed. Faiz Fazal anchored Vidarbha’s second innings with a double century. Vidarbha posted 246 in the first innings, dismissed Kerala for 176, then declared their second innings at 507/9- setting a target of 578. Kerala folded for 165. Aditya Sarwate took 6 wickets. The winning margin of 412 runs remains the largest in this rivalry. This was one of the most one-sided knockout results in Ranji Trophy cricket that season. Kerala were competitive enough to post 176 in the first innings. The real damage came in Vidarbha’s second innings declaration- a tactical masterstroke by captain Fazal that left Kerala a mathematically impossible target with limited time.

Nov 2019- Syed Mushtaq Ali, Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Last Win Over Vidarbha

Kerala posted 162/7 at their home ground and restricted Vidarbha to 136/7- winning by 26 runs. This remains Kerala’s most recent win over Vidarbha in any format and gave them a brief 2-1 lead in T20 cricket, which Vidarbha have since overturned.

Feb–Mar 2025- Ranji Trophy Final, Nagpur: The Championship Decider

The 2024-25 Ranji Trophy final between Vidarbha and Kerala was the defining chapter of this entire timeline. Kerala reached their first-ever Ranji final- 68 years after they first entered the competition– by defeating Jammu and Kashmir by 1-run and Gujarat by 2-run first-innings leads in successive knockout matches. The margins were razor-thin. The belief was enormous. Vidarbha reached the final by defeating defending champions Mumbai by 80 runs in the semi-final.

Days 1–2: Malewar and Nair Build Vidarbha’s Platform

Kerala won the toss and elected to bowl, targeting early moisture at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. What they did not account for was Danish Malewar’s composure. Malewar scored 153 off 285 balls in an innings that combined defensive solidity with calculated aggression. Karun Nair added 86 as the pair put on 215 for the fourth wicket. Vidarbha posted 379 all out.

Day 3: Kerala Fight but Fall 37 Short

Sachin Baby’s 98 was the defining knock of Kerala’s innings– technically correct, emotionally driven, and two runs away from a century that would have defined his career. Aditya Sarwate added 79. But the Vidarbha bowling unit- led by Darshan Nalkande (3 wickets), Harsh Dubey (3 wickets), and Parth Rekhade (3 wickets)- worked through the lineup with discipline. Kerala were bowled out for 342- a deficit of 37 runs. That 37-run gap decided the Ranji Trophy.

Days 4–5: Nair Makes the Title Secure

Karun Nair returned to bat in the second innings and scored 132*– his second match-defining performance in the same game. Vidarbha declared at 375/9, setting an unreachable target. The match ended in a draw, but Vidarbha were confirmed champions by virtue of first-innings lead. This was not a Vidarbha demolition. In 2017, they won by 412 runs. In 2025, the final went to a draw and was decided by 37 runs. The gap between these teams in red-ball cricket has narrowed sharply- but Vidarbha’s ability to take a first-innings lead when it counts most remains the decisive difference.

Dec 2025- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Vidarbha Restore T20 Parity

In the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group A, Vidarbha chased down Kerala’s 164 in 18.3 overs with 6 wickets to spare. Yash Thakur was named Player of the Match. This result restored Vidarbha’s T20 lead to 2-1.

What the Full Timeline Reveals

Looking at the vidarbha cricket team vs kerala cricket team timeline as a whole- not just the headline matches- three patterns emerge clearly.

Pattern 1- Kerala dominated before 2017. In the first five first-class meetings, Kerala won two and drew three. They were the more consistent side in the early era.

Pattern 2- Vidarbha have been unbeaten in red-ball cricket since 2017. From the quarter-final in Surat to the final in Nagpur, Vidarbha have not lost a first-class game against Kerala in eight years.

Pattern 3- T20 cricket is genuinely competitive. The 3-match T20 head-to-head (2-1 to Vidarbha) is far closer than the Ranji record suggests. Kerala’s white-ball ability has consistently been underrated.

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