Features

The team's success over the last few years has been built around a group of youngsters who have stepped up in times of dire need and crisis

Tamil Nadu didn't look like making the knockouts for a third year in a row, but then pieces began to fall in place despite adversity

ESPNcricinfo picks out the defining moments from Karnataka's Ranji Trophy-winning campaign

The players enjoy each other's success, back each other, protect each other both on and off the field. All these virtues have been evident in the team's success over the last five years

A pair of brothers recalls how it felt to face off in the Ranji Trophy final, the last time Karnataka and Tamil Nadu met in the big match, in 1996

After a stop-start performance in the early stages of the domestic season, Dinesh Karthik has pitched in with important innings for Tamil Nadu, and despite all the talk of his return to international cricket, his focus for now is the Ranji Trophy

An injection of self-belief, led by coach Paras Mhambrey and three hungry professionals, has launched Vidarbha into the the Ranji Trophy knockouts for only the second time in their history

A look at teams' chances to make the Ranji Trophy knockouts ahead of the last round

With 1223 runs in the Ranji season and an India debut, 2014 was the best year of Kedar Jadhav's life. But he also suffered the worst injury of his career so far, and is struggling to make runs amid expectations this time

Spinners in the Ranji Trophy are bowling less and taking far fewer wickets than they used to, and this could have troubling consequences in the long term

Last week Irfan Pathan bowled for the first time in a first-class game after two years. Relieved with his comeback, he is now focused on getting through the season and helping Baroda progress to the knock-out stage

Four times this Ranji Trophy season, CM Gautam has walked in to bat with Karnataka's first innings floundering and each time, he has walked away after reprising a rescue act

Shardul Thakur has been steadily improving across his three Ranji seasons, and much of his new-found success comes down to the effort he has put in in the off seasons

Off the selectors' radar for the past three years, Munaf Patel seems to have accepted that he may never play for India again. But that doesn't stop him from enjoying the game, although the IPL exclusion still hurts him

The number of outright verdicts in the Ranji Trophy has increased but more result-oriented pitches have come at the cost of the reduced role of slow bowlers

An injury denied medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma the chance to play for India A in Australia earlier this year. Having regained his fitness, he is looking to add to his pace in the domestic season

Temperament and consistency are key qualities for India Under-19 and Baroda allrounder Deepak Hooda as he looks to develop his potential on the first-class circuit

A preview of the prospects of Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2014-15 Ranji season

Unmukt Chand has been given a long rope by the selectors, but the runs are not coming and his temperament has also come under scrutiny; he must repay the faith shown in him soon, before his chances finally run out

On a reasonably good pitch against an average bowling attack, Gautam Gambhir scrapped his way to an unbeaten century on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy, indicating he was not going to give up yet