Kerala vs Gujarat is one of the more interesting pairings in Indian domestic cricket. The two sides have met in the Ranji Trophy at several stages, from group games to knockouts. The best-known meeting is the 2025 semi-final, where a single helmet deflection on the last morning decided who reached the final. This guide covers the biggest Kerala vs Gujarat highlights, with the scores, turning points and standout performers in tables so you can scan them quickly.

Kerala vs Gujarat Cricket Highlights at a Glance

Match	Venue	Stage	Outcome
Ranji Trophy 2024-25	Ahmedabad	Semi-final	Draw; Kerala advanced on a two-run first-innings lead
Ranji Trophy 2018-19	Krishnagiri Stadium, Wayanad	Quarter-final	Kerala won by 113 runs
Ranji Trophy 2021-22	Rajkot	Elite Group A	Kerala led on first innings; Gujarat were fighting back on day three
Ranji Trophy Plate 2007-08	Surat	Plate league	Kerala won by 9 wickets

These fixtures show a pattern. Kerala have repeatedly done well in tight, pressure-heavy contests against Gujarat. Gujarat are a former champion side with real batting depth, so these games are rarely one-sided.

Ranji Trophy 2025 Semi-Final: Kerala vs Gujarat Highlights

Match Snapshot

Detail	Information
Tournament	Ranji Trophy 2024-25
Stage	Semi-final
Venue	Ahmedabad
Kerala first innings	457
Gujarat first innings	455
Kerala second innings	114/4
Result	Match drawn; Kerala through on first-innings lead (+2)

This was easily the most dramatic Kerala vs Gujarat match on record. Over five days it had a huge first-innings total, a big reply, controversial reviews and a finish that came down to one wicket and two runs.

Kerala’s First Innings: Azharuddeen Anchors a 457

Kerala built a big first-innings total that put them in command early. The backbone was wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, whose unbeaten 177 carried Kerala to 457. It was a patient innings. Kerala were never in a hurry, which suited a five-day knockout where the first-innings lead can matter more than the final result.

Captain Sachin Baby also played an important supporting role. His unbeaten half-century on one of the days helped Kerala through a slow, attritional session. This was not highlight-reel cricket, but in a semi-final where a draw would effectively be decided on first-innings runs, slow accumulation was the right plan.

Kerala batting highlights	Contribution
Mohammed Azharuddeen	Unbeaten 177, the innings that anchored the total
Sachin Baby	Unbeaten half-century in an attritional passage
Team total	457 all out

Gujarat’s Reply: Panchal, Jaymeet and Aarya Desai

Gujarat answered strongly. At the end of the day after Kerala were bowled out, they were 222 for 1, which showed how flat the pitch was. Opener Priyank Panchal made a century and finished with 148. Jaymeet Patel contributed 79 and Aarya Desai added 73, so Gujarat had several partnerships rather than relying on one batter.

Reports at the time described Jaymeet and Panchal as frustrating Kerala, and the scoreboard supports that. Kerala’s bowlers had to keep fighting on a surface that offered little.

Gujarat batting highlights	Runs
Priyank Panchal	148
Jaymeet Patel	79
Aarya Desai	73
Team total	455 all out

Kerala’s Bowlers Hold On

Kerala’s attack was led by two spinners. Aditya Sarwate finished with 4/111 and Jalaj Saxena with 4/149. Both conceded plenty of runs, but they took the wickets that stopped Gujarat from getting past 457. In a match this tight, that was the difference.

Kerala bowling highlights	Figures
Aditya Sarwate	4/111
Jalaj Saxena	4/149

The Final Morning: Maximum Drama

On the final morning Gujarat resumed at 429/7. They needed 28 more runs to match Kerala’s total and one more run to take the lead, so Kerala needed the remaining three wickets as quickly as possible.

The morning produced some of the best Kerala vs Gujarat highlights:

• The stumping decision: Jaymeet Patel was ruled stumped early in the session after the third umpire looked at replays several times. It was a close call, and Kerala came back into the contest.
• The DRS twist: Siddharth Desai was given out caught, the decision was overturned on review, but ball tracking then showed he was leg-before. Gujarat’s hopes ended through a different dismissal mode.
• Dropped chances and nervy boundaries: The session had misfields, edges and a few boundaries, and the crowd reacted to all of it.
• The last-wicket helmet moment: Gujarat’s last batter, Arzan Nagwaswalla, played an aggressive shot. The ball struck the helmet of Salman Nizar at short leg and bounced to captain Sachin Baby in the slips, who held the catch.

That catch ended Gujarat’s innings on 455, two runs short, and gave Kerala the first-innings lead they needed. It is the clip most people mean when they search for Kerala vs Gujarat highlights.

Final morning timeline	Event
Start of play	Gujarat 429/7, needing 28 to level and 29 to lead
Early session	Jaymeet Patel given stumped after repeated replays
Middle phase	Siddharth Desai DRS drama; last pair adds nine runs
End of innings	Nagwaswalla caught via helmet deflection; Gujarat 455 all out

Kerala Bat Out the Draw

Kerala then had to bat out the rest of the day to make sure the result held. They did it without serious scares and finished on 114/4. Reports noted that Kerala picked an unusual team, with specialist batters at numbers seven and eight, which gave them extra batting insurance for exactly this situation.

Once the draw was confirmed, Kerala went through to their first senior men’s final. Saxena celebrated by holding his helmet up as he walked off.

What Happened After the Semi-Final

Kerala met Vidarbha in the final and lost on first-innings lead after the match was drawn. Captain Sachin Baby later took the blame for a shot that changed the momentum. The semi-final win over Gujarat remained the high point of Kerala’s season.

After the match	Detail
Final opponent	Vidarbha
Final result	Vidarbha won on first-innings lead
Notable aftermath	Sachin Baby publicly took responsibility for a momentum-changing shot
Squad change	Jalaj Saxena later left Kerala after nine seasons to join Maharashtra

Ranji Trophy 2019 Quarter-Final: Kerala vs Gujarat in Wayanad

Match Snapshot

Detail	Information
Tournament	Ranji Trophy 2018-19
Stage	Quarter-final
Venue	Krishnagiri Stadium, Wayanad
Kerala	185/9 (declared) and 171
Gujarat	162 and 81
Result	Kerala won by 113 runs

This was the match that took Kerala into the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time. It was played on a difficult pitch, and no batter from either side was comfortable for long.

A Low-Scoring Contest

Sijomon Joseph was the only batter in the match to score a fifty. Kerala built a first-innings lead of 23, with Basil Thampi, Sandeep Warrier and Nidheesh all bowling well. In the second innings, Jalaj Saxena’s unbeaten 44 helped Kerala reach 171 and set Gujarat 195 to win.

Basil Thampi and Sandeep Warrier Bowl Kerala to Victory

Gujarat’s chase collapsed almost immediately. They were bowled out for 81 in the first session of day three. Basil Thampi took 5/27 and Sandeep Warrier took 4/30.

Some of the key moments:

• Captain Parthiv Patel was run out for a duck by a direct hit from Kerala captain Sachin Baby.
• Warrier dismissed Rujul Bhatt for a duck, leaving Gujarat 18/4.
• Basil trapped Roosh Kalaria leg-before, and Gujarat fell to 59/6.
• Warrier got rid of Axar Patel for 2.
• A lone fighting effort from the lower order could not prevent the end.

Key performer	Contribution
Basil Thampi	5/27 in Gujarat’s second innings
Sandeep Warrier	4/30 in Gujarat’s second innings
Sijomon Joseph	The only fifty of the match
Jalaj Saxena	Unbeaten 44 in Kerala’s second innings
Sachin Baby	Direct-hit run-out of Parthiv Patel

Why This Win Mattered

Coach Dav Whatmore and captain Sachin Baby were widely credited for turning Kerala into a team that fought for every session. Kerala reached the last eight while bigger names such as Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Bengal and Punjab did not progress, which made the achievement even more notable.

Ranji Trophy 2022 Elite Group A: Gujarat vs Kerala in Rajkot

Match Snapshot

Detail	Information
Tournament	Ranji Trophy 2021-22
Stage	Elite Group A
Venue	Rajkot
Gujarat first innings	388
Kerala first innings	439
Gujarat second innings (day three stumps)	128/5

Kerala Take a First-Innings Lead

Kerala passed Gujarat’s 388 and were bowled out for 439 in the second session of day three, a lead of 51. Two batters shaped the innings. Rohan Kunnummal made 129, and Vishnu Vinod added 113, his second first-class hundred. Vishnu reached his century off 117 balls and put on 98 for the fifth wicket with Vathsal Govind, who made 25.

Gujarat’s left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai took 5/132, including the wicket of Vishnu Vinod.

Gujarat Struggle in the Second Innings

By stumps on day three, Gujarat were 128/5, only 77 ahead. Basil Thampi picked up two wickets, and Nidheesh, Sijomon Joseph and Jalaj Saxena took one each. Karan Patel and Umang Kumar steadied things after Gujarat had slipped to 84/5.

Key performer	Contribution
Rohan Kunnummal	129
Vishnu Vinod	113
Siddharth Desai (Gujarat)	5/132
Basil Thampi	2/29 in Gujarat’s second innings

Ranji Trophy Plate 2007: Kerala Beat Gujarat in Surat

An older chapter of the rivalry came in December 2007, when Kerala beat Gujarat by nine wickets in Surat. The win helped Kerala reach the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy Plate Championship. Captain Sony Cheruvathur bowled well in both innings, and Rohan Prem scored a century in the first innings. Tinu Yohannan and Prasanth Chandran also contributed with the ball, and wicketkeeper Vinan G Nair played an important second-innings knock.

Detail	Information
Result	Kerala won by 9 wickets
Venue	Surat
Key batters	Rohan Prem (first-innings century), Vinan G Nair
Key bowlers	Sony Cheruvathur, Tinu Yohannan, Prasanth Chandran

Kerala vs Gujarat Through the Years: Rivalry Summary

Era	Match context	What stood out
2007-08	Plate league, Surat	Kerala’s convincing nine-wicket win
2018-19	Quarter-final, Wayanad	Basil Thampi and Sandeep Warrier skittle Gujarat for 81
2021-22	Elite Group A, Rajkot	Hundreds from Rohan Kunnummal and Vishnu Vinod
2024-25	Semi-final, Ahmedabad	Two-run first-innings lead and the helmet catch

Looking across these meetings, Kerala’s wins have mostly come through disciplined bowling and in-form batters at key moments. Gujarat’s resistance has come from experienced batters who can build long innings, as Priyank Panchal and Jaymeet Patel did in 2025.

Tactical Analysis: Why These Matches Are So Close

Spin Versus Seam

Both teams rely on a balanced attack. In the 2025 semi-final, Kerala’s spinners Sarwate and Saxena took eight wickets between them. In 2019, Kerala’s seamers Basil and Warrier did the damage on a pitch with something in it. Gujarat have also leaned on spin, with Siddharth Desai taking five wickets in 2022.

First-Innings Lead Strategy

In Ranji Trophy knockouts, a draw is decided by first-innings lead, so teams bat long and slowly. Kerala’s approach in 2025 reflected that. They took their time to post 457, put specialist batters at seven and eight, and bowled to take wickets instead of defending runs. The strategy worked by two runs.

Captaincy and Fielding

Sachin Baby’s fielding is a recurring feature of these matches. His direct hit ran out Parthiv Patel in 2019, and his slip catch ended Gujarat’s innings in 2025. Small moments like these often decide domestic matches.

Where to Watch Kerala vs Gujarat Highlights

• Official broadcaster and streaming partner: Ranji Trophy coverage is usually available through the BCCI’s official channels and the streaming partner for that season. Highlights packages for knockout games are common.
• Cricket news websites: Match reports from outlets such as ESPNcricinfo, WION and Onmanorama carry over-by-over summaries and photographs.
• Social media clips: The final-wicket helmet moment is widely shared in short clips. Look for posts from verified cricket accounts.
• Scorecards: For ball-by-ball detail, use a trusted scoring site and confirm figures against the official scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Kerala vs Gujarat Ranji Trophy semi-final in 2025?
The match was drawn, and Kerala advanced because they led on first innings, 457 to 455.

Who scored the most runs in that semi-final?
Mohammed Azharuddeen scored an unbeaten 177 for Kerala. For Gujarat, Priyank Panchal top-scored with 148.

What was the helmet moment?
Gujarat’s last batter hit a shot that struck Kerala fielder Salman Nizar’s helmet at short leg. The ball bounced to Sachin Baby at slip, who caught it and ended Gujarat’s innings two runs short.

Who took the most wickets for Kerala in the semi-final?
Aditya Sarwate took 4/111 and Jalaj Saxena took 4/149.

When did Kerala first reach the Ranji Trophy semi-finals?
They did it in January 2019 by beating Gujarat by 113 runs in the quarter-final in Wayanad.

Did Kerala win the 2025 Ranji Trophy?
No. They lost the final to Vidarbha on first-innings lead after a draw.

Conclusion

Kerala vs Gujarat cricket highlights cover a long and varied rivalry. The 2019 quarter-final in Wayanad showed Kerala’s seam attack at its sharpest. The 2022 meeting in Rajkot produced two big hundreds. The 2025 semi-final in Ahmedabad gave Kerala their first senior final and one of the most replayed finishes in recent Ranji Trophy history. Whichever match you are searching for, the key lessons are the same. Patient batting, accurate bowling and sharp fielding win these contests, and sometimes the margin is only two runs.

Sources used: match reports from WION, Onmanorama, RevSportz, ESPN and CricketArchive. Please check final figures against the official scorecards before publishing, and note that I found no reports of a Kerala vs Gujarat match from the current season.