Page 8 - Domestic Cricket

Ranji Trophy final: Harsha Dube confirms Vidarbha will go for the 538 chase

Battered but not yet beaten, Vidarbha on Tuesday maintained a defiant stand with their left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey saying they would look to chase down the remaining 528 runs in the ongoing Ranji Trophy final here against Mumbai. Two-time winners Vidarbha managed to bowl Mumbai out for 418 in the second innings but not before the lead had surged to extreme levels, with the hosts setting a 538-run target on the third day here at the Wankhede Stadium. Vidarbha's woes compounded particularly on the third day which was spent without their most successful bowler Aditya Sarwate, who did not take the field on Tuesday owing to back spasm. "We are positive. With nothing to lose, we will go for the chase. A lot of time is left in the match. Let's see how the wicket behaves," left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who toiled to return 5/144 in the second innings, told media after the end of play. "Sarwate's absence was a loss for us. They (Mumbai) batted well. Had we grabbed our chances, maybe the sc

Ranji Trophy final: Job is far from done for Mumbai against Vidarbha

Senior left-arm spinner Shams Mulani feels that Mumbai team cannot afford to be complacent despite having an overall lead of 260 runs after two days in the Rnji Trophy final against Vidarbha. Mumbai produced an all-round show on the second day at the Wankhede Stadium to take complete command, bowling out Vidarbha for a mere 105 in the first innings to earn a big 119-run lead. In their second innings, Mumbai were jolted twice early on but skipper Ajinkya Rahane (58 not out) and Musheer Khan (51 not out) led a resolute fightback with an unbeaten 107-run stand for the third wicket to take second innings score to 141/2. "Three days are left (in the game). We have not thought about anything else other than batting. Yes, we have got a healthy lead but we will look to build on it and see how we can improve and take the game away from them as much as possible," Mulani told the media after stumps. "Right now, we feel that we need to bat. There's no target in mind because we are just thinkin

Ranji Trophy final: Karun Nair backs Vidarbha's 'ability to fight back'

Karun Nair on Saturday backed Vidarbha to come good against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final owing to their ability to fight back from tough situations, an attribute that the two-time winners displayed against Madhya Pradesh in the semifinal. Vidarbha bounced back strongly in the second innings after being bowled out for a mere 170 in the first to win by 62 runs, setting up the final against Mumbai which starts here on Sunday. "The thrilling and close win against Madhya Pradesh really showed the character in the team, a lot of fighting ability," Nair told PTI Video in an exclusive interview here at the Wankhede Stadium. "We have always come back from difficult situations, that was another difficult situation (first innings against Madhya Pradesh) where we didn't play quite well to our potential in the first innings, but we came back really hard and won that game," he said. However, Nair hoped that there is no such situation for the team to deal with in the final. "But we need to s

Indian Street Premier League: Toss to Powerplay - rules, format explained

Major rules which are different from normal cricket are the 50-over, street nine runs and Tape-ball overs along with a unique combination of playing 11

Important to play domestic cricket if fit and available: Rohit Sharma

India captain Rohit Sharma wants players, who are not on national duty, to make themselves available for domestic cricket unless they have been declared "unfit" by the BCCI's medical team. In a strong message to players, who prioritize one format over the other, the Indian cricket board advised all contracted cricketers to give "precedence" to domestic cricket and went to the extent of excluding 2023 ODI World Cuppers Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the pool of centrally contracted cricketers after they ignored the board's diktat on Ranji Trophy. Ahead of the final Test against England, Rohit made it clear that the move applies to all and not a few players. "There has been talk about this for a long, long time. That when the players are available, they've got to make themselves available to play domestic cricket, unless they have been given a certificate from the medical group that they want to be rested or will not be taking part in domestic cricket, but if you are available, if

Indian Street Premier League: Full schedule, teams, owners, live streaming

The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL T10) begins on Wednesday, March 6 2024 and will be broadcast on the Sony Ten network and live-streamed on the Sony LIV app and website

Jharkhand spinner Nadeem calls it quits, wants to play in foregn leagues

Jharkhand left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who featured in two Tests for India, has announced his retirement from international cricket to try his luck in franchise-based leagues as he does not foresee opportunities in the national team. The 34-year-old said it is better to pave the way for younger talent. "I realise I can't feature for Team India anymore, as I'm not in the selectors' plans, and there is a pool of talented youngsters waiting for their chance," Nadeem told PTI from Dhanbad. "I would have continued playing if there were opportunities for me in Team India... However, I don't foresee any chances in near future. "Hence, I decided to retire from Indian cricket and try my luck in different leagues," added the bowler, who will be seen in action in the upcoming Legends League Cricket in Sri Lanka. Nadeem, who held the world record of best bowling figures (8/10) in an innings in List A cricket in a two-decade long career for Jharkhand, was handed a surprise Test debut again

Domestic cricket give national players chance to work on basics: Tendulkar

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said playing in the Ranji Trophy provides national players an opportunity to go back to basics while also elevating the level of the domestic tournament. The BCCI recently made it mandatory for its centrally contracted players to play domestic red-ball cricket if they aren't on national duty or in the NCA. The BCCI excluded Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from its central contract list after they missed their state team's respective Ranji Trophy games. "When India players turn up for their domestic teams, it raises the quality of play for youngsters and sometimes new talent is identified. "It also gives the national players a chance to sometimes rediscover the basics," Tendulkar posted on X. "Throughout my career, I remained passionate about playing for Mumbai whenever I had the opportunity. Growing up, we had almost 7-8 India players in our dressing room, and it was fun to play alongside them," Tendulkar added. The 25-year-old Kishan did n

Playing 10 Ranji games with 3-day gaps tough, could lead to injury: Shardul

India and Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Sunday said that the BCCI will have to relook next year's Ranji Trophy schedule as playing 10 matches with just three-day gaps between games could lead to injuries to players. Thakur said it's difficult for players to adjust to the three-day gap between knockout matches, which was not the case earlier. It's difficult because we are playing first-class games in (a) three days' gap that has never happened in Ranji Trophy season ever, Thakur told the media here after making a fine century in the semifinal against Tamil Nadu. You know the schedule is becoming tighter and tighter. If boys keep playing like this for two more seasons, there will be lot of injuries across the country. Next year, they (the BCCI) have to re-look at it and give more break, he added. He said few years back players got more days in between matches in Ranji Trophy. When I remember playing Ranji Trophy back in the days, good 7-8 years back, (the) first three games

Aus' Will Pucovski and his tale of concussions continues, suffers another

Australian batter Will Pucovski suffered a nasty blow on his head and had to be substituted while playing for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania here on Sunday. The No. 3 batter retired hurt for 0 after being hit on his helmet from a Riley Meredith bouncer. It was just the second delivery he faced in Victoria's chase of 442 in the second innings. The 26-year-old, who has experienced several blows to the head with the most recent being in a second XI match in January, was struck on the left side of his helmet after he turned his head to a rising delivery from Meredith. The blow left him visibly disturbed as he kneeled on the pitch. The medical staff rushed to the centre. He eventually got up and slowly walked off the field, rubbing his eyes. "Will is currently in the hands of our medical professionals," a Cricket Victoria spokesperson said. "We'll look to provide an update in due course." Reserve batter Campbell Kellaway came in as a concussion substitute. Pucov

Ranji Trophy: Deshpande, Thakur shine as Mumbai take opening day honours

Tushar Deshpande (3/24) and Shardul Thakur (2/48) starred with the ball to put Mumbai on top following a meek display from Tamil Nadu on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Saturday. Tamil Nadu skipper B Sai Kishore's decision to bat first backfired as the visitors were shot out for a mere 146 in the first innings with Deshpande and Thakur making life miserable for the visiting batters at the BKC Ground. If it was any consolation, Tamil Nadu struck twice with the ball but Mumbai shaved off a significant chunk of first-innings deficit, reaching 45/2 at stumps to trail by another 101 runs. Musheer Khan (24 not out) and nightwatchman Mohit Avasthi (1) were at the crease with Mumbai losing openers Prithvi Shaw (5) and Bhupen Lalwani (15). Shaw fell early against Kuldeep Sen while Sai Kishore trapped Lalwani for the second wicket, but Mumbai remained on top. On a track which had movement off the surface as well as turn for spinners, Mumbai proved to be the superior

Ranji Trophy: Avesh's four wickets help MP to bowl out Vidarbha for 170

Avesh Khan-led Madhya Pradesh pace bowling unit hit right lengths on a pitch that offered enough carry to bowl out Vidarbha for a meagre 170 on day one to gain control of their Ranji Trophy semifinal match here on Saturday. Avesh (4/49) was the pick of MP bowlers, while receiving good support from Kulwant Khejroliya (2/38) and Venkatesh Iyer (2/28). Madhya Pradesh reached 47 for one in their first innings at close, and trail by 123 runs. The VCA Stadium deck wore such fine green tinge as MP employed spin for just 2.4 overs in a total of 56.4 overs they bowled on the day. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya, who dismissed last man Umesh Yadav, did the spinner's duty for a brief period. Other spinners in their ranks like offie Saransh Jain remained spectators of the proceedings. Vidarbha's feeble fight came through Karun Nair, who made 63 (105 balls, 9x4). India pacer Avesh gave MP a fine start to the match when he uprooted the stumps of opener Dhruv Shorey (13). Vidarbha lost wicke

Ranji Trophy 2023-24 Semi-Finals: Matches, timing, live streaming details

The two Ranji Trophy 2023-24 semi-finals will see Vidarbha face Madhya Pradesh at Nagpur while Mumbai will take on Tamil Nadu in Kurla from March 02, 2024. Matches can be live-streamed on Jiocinema

Few players will suffer but let it be: Kapil backs BCCI on domestic cricket

"A few players will suffer, but let it be," said legendary former India captain Kapil Dev on Friday as he backed the BCCI's decision to terminate central contracts for lack of commitment to domestic cricket, calling it a much-needed step to protect marquee first-class events like the Ranji Trophy. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were on Wednesday excluded from the BCCI's central contracts after ignoring the board's diktat to play in the Ranji Trophy. The decision evoked mixed reactions with some former players like Kirti Azad and Irfan Pathan backing the out-of-favour duo. Kapil refrained from taking names but said the BCCI's decision to assert the importance of domestic cricket was long overdue. "Yes, few players will suffer, kuch logon ko taqleef hogi, hone do lekin desh se badhkar koi nahi hai (some people will feel hurt but let it be because nobody is bigger than the country). Well done," he said. "I congratulate the BCCI for taking the much needed step to protect the status of .

Ranji Trophy SF: Shreyas Iyer in spotlight as Mumbai take on Tamil Nadu

Out-of-favour India batter Shreyas Iyer will be motivated to prove a point and serve a timely reminder of his skillset as he gets back to domestic action when the record 41-time champions Mumbai take on Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Saturday. Dropped from the Indian Test side and discarded from BCCI's list of contracted players after he did not make himself available for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal due to groin and back trouble, Iyer has recovered completely to join Mumbai for the key clash. Iyer would be key in Mumbai's scheme of things specially against Tamil Nadu's quality spin bowling, which has been one of their key weapons this season. Skipper R Sai Kishore (47 wickets) and fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram (41) are perched atop the list of highest wicket-takers, against whom Iyer and Co. will have a great opportunity to make a strong statement. The semifinal promises to be an enthralling battle between Tamil Nadu's persistent and disciplined bowlers an

BCCI to conduct women's red-ball tournament in Pune from March 28

Women's red-ball cricket will return to India's domestic calendar after four years when the BCCI conducts a Senior Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy in Pune from March 28, the board announced on Friday. The move comes after the Indian women's team's return to Test cricket. The side has played Tests against Australia and England in the recent years. Domestic red ball cricket for women was last held in 2018. "It is a welcome step taken by BCCI. The national team has started playing Test cricket again and we need the next generation of cricketers to play red ball cricket at the domestic level," former India pacer Amita Sharma told PTI. "I would also want red ball to be played at the state level and not just zonal level. Back in the day we had both those events," she added. The Maharashtra Cricket Association will be hosting the tournament which will feature six teams, representing East, West, North, South, Central, and North-East zones. They will be competing in a series of five matches t

Ranji Trophy SF: Gritty Madhya Pradesh look to outwit formidable Vidarbha

A resolute Madhya Pradesh is faced with the daunting task of taming Vidarbha in their home ground, which the hosts have turned into an impregnable citadel this season, when the familiar foes clash in the Ranji Trophy semifinal here from Saturday. Two-time champions Vidarbha have played four matches at the VCA Stadium this season, and they have won three of them with the solitary defeat coming against Saurashtra. Those victories have come with convincing margins too seven wickets against Services, 115 runs against Haryana and 127 runs against Karnataka in the quarterfinals. The biggest strength of Vidarbha throughout this season has been the collective contribution of their batsmen. They have found different heroes in veteran Karun Nair (515 runs), import from Delhi Dhruv Shorey (496), top-order batter Atharva Taide (488) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (452). All of them have bailed them out of the woods on different occasions. The Nagpur pitch has often acted as an ally of the batters

Here's what Kotian and Deshpande said after scoring tons at no. 10 & 11

It is rare for a pair involving numbers 10 and 11 to be hitting first-class tons and rarer to have them adding 200 or more runs for the 10th wicket, yet fall agonisingly close to breaking a record. But for Mumbai's Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande, who hit their maiden tons and put on a stunning 232-run stand for the last wicket, there was no disappointment in missing out on the record in Ranji Trophy by just one run during their quarterfinal against Baroda. Kotian (120 not out) and Deshpande (123) pulverised the Baroda attack to enter record books here at the BKC Ground on Tuesday, but they narrowly missed overhauling the highest 10th-wicket stand between Ajay Sharma and Maninder Singh of 233 runs, for Delhi against Mumbai in the 1991-92 season. "I am happy; I was unbeaten. I had told Tushar that only 1-2 runs are left, he took a chance but we felt we had done something (in terms of records) at Nos 10 and 11," Kotian told PTI in an exclusive chat, sounding totally content with wh

Historic moment in Ranji: Deshpande-Kotian hits tons batting at no. 10 & 11

Kotian remained unbeaten on 120 from 129 balls with ten fours and four sixes, while Deshpande fell for 123 from 129 balls with ten fours and eight sixes

Ranji Trophy: Shreyas Iyer named in Mumbai squad for semis vs Tamil Nadu

Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer was on Tuesday named in Mumbai's 16-member squad for the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu starting on March 2. Mumbai qualified for the semifinals after their quarterfinal clash against Baroda ended in a draw at the BKC Ground, with the 41-time champions making it to the final four on the basis of first-innings lead. Lacking big runs and struggling with a back-related issue again, the 29-year-old Iyer was not named in India's squad for the last three Tests against England. Iyer, subsequently, also missed Mumbai's quarterfinal match along with all-rounder Shivam Dube. The timing of Iyer pulling out of the key Ranji clash coincided with BCCI secretary Jay Shah announcing that a directive will be issued to players to compulsorily play domestic matches. While Dube is on the mend having suffered a side strain issue, Iyer has recovered completely and will be available for the semifinal against Tamil Nadu. Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas I