Bihar win Plate Group Final in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. What does this mean?

Bihar won the Plate Group Final in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 after beating Manipur by six wickets on Tuesday (January 6), where the Bihar pacer Shabbir Khan recorded a seven-fer, including a hat-trick. 

Ranchi hosted the Plate Group Final, where Bihar chose to bowl first after winning the toss. After Manipur were bowled out for only 169 runs in 47.5 overs, Bihar chased down the target in 31.2 overs after losing four wickets. 

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Hat-trick star Shabbir Khan took seven wickets

Apart from the opener Ulenyai Khwairakpam (61) and the no.8 Pheiroijam Jotin (51), there were no 20-run scores for Manipur, as there were only two more double-digit scores late. Manipur were once struggling at 24/6 in seven overs, while the 28-year-old right-arm pacer Shabbir Khan took all those six wickets, including a hat-trick and four wickets in the fifth over of the innings. 

With another wicket in the slog over, Shabbir Khan had the bowling figures of 8-1-30-7. Meanwhile, Himanshu Tiwari took the remaining three wickets, finishing with the bowling figures of 7.5-0-23-3. 

In chase, the no.3 wicketkeeper-batter Ayush Loharuka scored 75 off 72 balls with 11 fours that guided Bihar to a comfortable win by six wickets with 112 balls remaining. Also, the opener Mangal Mahrour scored 32 runs off 37 balls. 

Bihar won the Plate Group as the unbeaten side, as they won all five league stage matches before winning the Final against Manipur. 

What does Bihar's victory in the Plate Group Final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 mean?

As Bihar won the Plate Group Final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Bihar have been promoted to the Elite Group for the next season. So, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026-27, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his team Bihar will compete with the top Vijay Hazare Trophy teams.