1991 Ranji Final (Image – X (Twitter) Mumbai: May 7, 2026 marks exactly 35 years since one of the greatest Ranji Trophy finals ever played. On this day in the 1990-91 Ranji Trophy season, Haryana, led by India’s 1983 World Cup captain Kapil Dev, stunned heavyweights Bombay (Bombay) by just two runs at the Wankhede Stadium to claim their maiden Ranji Trophy title.For those brought up on IPL thrillers, it was a home classic that went all the way to the final ball on Day 5. The match, televised live by Doordarshan Sports, is still remembered for its dramatic twists and high-quality cricket, though the television station later deleted the footage.
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Sairaj Bahutule reacts on another Punjab Kings defeat, dropped catches and morePlayed from 3 to 7 May 1991, Haryana scored 522 in the first innings in the final, powered by Deepak Sharma’s 199 and Chetan Sharma’s remarkable 98 at No.9. Bombay replied with 410 despite Sanjay Patil top-scoring with 85 and Lalchand Rajput 3. Bhandari took five wickets.Bombay then bowled out Haryana for 242, leaving them 355 to win in 67 overs. However, they slumped to 35 for three at lunch on the final day, with Rajput, Shishir Hattangadi and Sanjay Manjrekar dismissed by the Kapil-Chetan combination.What followed remains one of the most memorable partnerships in Indian domestic cricket. Dilip Vengsarkar and teenage Sachin Tendulkar added 134 runs for the fourth wicket to drag Bombay back into the contest. Vengsarkar remained unbeaten on 139 while Tendulkar smashed a brilliant 96 off just 75 balls.“Had we not spent as many as seven catches, Haryana would not have scored 522 in the first innings. If Tendulkar had stayed for five more overs, we would have been through. I don’t remember seeing a better knock from him in domestic cricket,” Vengsarkar told TOI on Thursday.Despite the heartbreak, Vengsarkar still considers it a significant day in Indian domestic cricket.“It’s the biggest day in the history of Indian domestic cricket. I don’t recall any instance of an overcrowded crowd on the last day of the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede after that. In fact, you hardly see any crowds at the Ranji Trophy today,” he said.At Vengsarkar’s naming ceremony at the Wankhede in 2021, Tendulkar emotionally recalled the impact the defeat had on him.“On the last day we lost the final by just two runs. Abey Kuruvilla was exhausted. Vengsarkar scored an unbeaten century (139). I will never forget Vengsarkar’s reaction after the match as he walked towards the dressing room. I saw tears in his eyes. He was sitting in the dressing room covering his head with a towel and Bomoy khados for some time, then I realized what determination and enthusiasm. cricket, that means he has already played more than 100 Tests, he was such a great cricketer, he was still playing for Bombay and had tears in his eyes after Bombay lost. I just felt that the stand (Dilip Vengsarkar Stand) we see now named after him is a tribute to those tears,” Tendulkar remarked.Kapil Dev later described it as “the biggest match of my life”.Former Mumbai all-rounder Sanjay Patil, now the chief selector of the Bombay team, also recalled the extraordinary commitment shown by the players at that time while talking to TOI.“It’s a great feeling that it’s exactly 35 years since the biggest match of my life. I was on the field for five whole days. I wasn’t supposed to play that match in the first row because I broke my left (bowling) finger in the quarter-final against Delhi after being hit by Manoj Prabhakar’s beam and my sevens-MCA captain told me to rest from our MCA game doctor, Arun Samshir. Sanjay Manjrekar asked me to play in the semi-final against Hyderabad, so I forgot about my injury.”“A few days after the semi-final was the final. I forgot that I had broken my finger, I bowled 50.3 overs in the first innings. Then, at 4.15 pm, Hattangadi was out, and suddenly, just when I wanted to rest, I was asked to go as a night watchman. I somehow prepared myself, with our 12-man Sameere. Hurry up, I even forgot to wear a guard and I was to face Kapil. However, I am proud to say that even as a No. 10 batsman in a star-studded batting line-up that had Tendulkar at No. 5 and Vinod Kambli at No. 6, I finished best with 85.”It was to be Vengsarkar’s last season for Mumbai. The former India captain revealed that he initially planned to retire after the 1991-92 tour of Australia, but was persuaded by former India opener Sudhir Naik to go on to knock out the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai. Vengsarkar responded with a memorable 284 in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh at the Wankhede Stadium, before eventually playing his last match for Mumbai in the semi-final defeat by Delhi – another example of the dedication and loyalty shown by the players of that era to Mumbai cricket.
