Page 5 - Ranji Trophy

Rahane-led Mumbai on verge of victory against Gaikwad-led Maharashtra

Defending champions Mumbai closed in on an outright win despite fine hundreds by Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and seasoned middle-order batter Ankit Bawne on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Group A match here on Sunday. Maharashtra were all out for 388 in their second innings, leaving Mumbai with a victory target of 74 with a full day's play left in the game. At 13 for no loss at stumps, Mumbai were just 61 away from victory with openers Prithvi Shaw and Ayush Mhatre batting on 7 and 6 respectively. Bawne struck a terrific hundred (101 off 152 balls) after Gaikwad responded with a century of his own after his first-innings failure but these efforts were not enough to make up for their forgettable outing with the bat on the opening day when the visiting side was bundled out for 126. Star player Gaikwad, who was out for a two-ball duck in the first essay in a team total of 126, led Maharashtra's charge with a 145-run knock that came off 171 balls, while Bawne, who made his

Sundar in India squad vs NZ: Who could he replace in 2nd Test Playing 11?

25-year-old Sundar's call-up comes after his knock of 152 for Tamil Nadu in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy match against Delhi. What will be India's Playing 11 vs New Zealand in the second Test? Check here

Delhi continues to struggle against TN despite century from Yash Dhull

Yash Dhull's fighting century was not enough for Delhi as the hosts trailed Tamil Nadu by 410 runs in their first innings on the third and penultimate day of the Group D Ranji Trophy match here on Sunday. Resuming on overnight score of 43 for no loss in reply to Tamil Nadu's mammoth 674 for 6 declared, Dhull stood tall and remained unbeaten on 103 off 189 balls with the help of 11 boundaries and three sixes, single-handedly pushing Delhi's total to 264 for 8 in 97 overs. Besides Dhull, wicket-keeper Pranav Rajvanshi made 40, while Sanat Sangwan (36) and Harsh Tyagi (35) shared 74 runs for the first wicket. For Tamil Nadu, medium pacer M Mohammed (2/30), Washington Sundar (2/42) and left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh (2/48) shared six wicket between them. In Guwahati, Assam were staring at a defeat after struggling to 144 for 7 in their second innings against Chandigarh, taking an overall lead of just 36 runs with one full day's play remaining. In response to Assam's 266 in the first

Ishan Kishan returns as Jharkhand captain after controversial pullout

India batter Ishan Kishan on Wednesday returned to the Jharkhand Ranji team as its captain, following his controversial pullout last season that led to his exclusion from the BCCI central contract. The explosive left-hander, who became a regular in India's white-ball squad after Rishabh Pant's road accident in December 2022, took a break during India's tour of South Africa last year. Post break, he did not participate in any official BCCI matches, which raised a few eyebrows as the board stressed on players prioritising domestic cricket when not on national duty. The 26-year-old resurfaced this February, playing in the privately organised DY Patil T20 Cup ahead of the IPL and sparking a debate over balance between franchise cricket and state commitments. His absence from domestic cricket during this period contributed to his omission from the BCCI's 2023-24 central contracts. However, Kishan has since worked his way back into the BCCI's good books with strong performances in domes

Delhi Ranji team probables: Kohli, Pant named in 84, no Ishant Sharma

Premier batter Virat Kohli and the flamboyant Rishabh Pant have once again been named in a jumbo 84-member Delhi Ranji Trophy probables list although the duo is unlikely to be available for any of the red ball games throughout the season. However, veteran pacer Ishant Sharma's name didn't figure in the list which has the country's fastest bowler Mayank Yadav along with another Team India contender Harshit Rana. Kohli had last played Ranji Trophy for Delhi in 2012 at Ghaziabad against Uttar Pradesh while Pant last featured in a red ball game for Delhi in the pre-COVID era. "This is a protocol. They are our registered players and it is our duty to put their names in probables list in case they want to play," a DDCA official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. In case of the 35-year-old 100 Test veteran Ishant, it is understood that there is no point in him playing Ranji Trophy since he no longer figures in national team's scheme of things. Ishant didn't play in inaugural Delhi Prem

Buchi Babu cricket tournament 2024 schedule, teams, format and history

The 2024 edition will begin on August 15 and will feature big names like India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Sarfaraz Khan.

BCCI announces reforms for 2024-25 domestic season, Ranji to be two-phased

Also, in the CK Nayadu Trophy, a domestic-level under-23 state tournament, a new point system will be introduced to make sure performances get more balanced

BCCI meet: Ranji matches unlikely to be held in North in December-January

India's newest batting star Sarfaraz Khan and wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel were inducted into Group C of BCCI's central contract with an annual retainership fee of Rs 1 crore, having fulfilled the criteria of playing three Tests in a current season. Their names were ratified during BCCI Apex Council meeting which was held on Monday. Sarfaraz, a domestic heavyweight for Mumbai, scored three half-centuries in three Tests against England while Agra man Jurel, with scores of 90 and 39 not out in a tricky chase at Ranchi, won the Player of the Match in only his second game. Ratification of central contract was on the agenda and both have made the cut. Ranji Trophy scheduling =============== The BCCI is likely to revisit the Ranji Trophy calender for the next season and will not schedule any matches in the northern part of India during the months of December and January, when fog and bad light often play spoilsport. While the detailed domestic calender will be announced later, the BCCI A

Ranji Trophy 2023-24 stats, top 10 highest run-scorers and wicket-takers

amil Nadu's R Sai Kishore is the highest wicket-taker with 53 scalps in 9 matches, including three five-wicket hauls. Andhra Pradesh's Ricky Bhui is the highest run-scorer in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy

From 1934 to 2024: Full list of Ranji Trophy winners and runner-ups

Mumbai won record extending 42nd Ranji Trophy title as they defeated Vidharbha by 102 runs in the final on Thursday (March 14) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

Ranji Trophy Final: Defiant Vidarbha prolong Mumbai's wait for 42nd title

A dogged fightback from Vidarbha, led by Karun Nair (74) and skipper Akshay Wadkar (56 not out), prolonged Mumbai's wait for a 42nd Ranji Trophy title as the visiting side reached 248/5 in pursuit of a mammoth 538 on the fourth and penultimate day of the final here on Wednesday. Set an improbable target to win the summit clash after being outplayed since the first day afternoon, Vidarbha put up a resolute show with the bat to frustrate their hosts by resorting to stonewalling for the majority of the day. Nair, who joined the Vidarbha ranks only at the start of this season, was at the forefront of their resistance as he faced as many as 220 balls while batting for 287 minutes to keep Mumbai at bay. But the right-handed batter ultimately fell to the brilliance of Musheer Khan late in the day, with the 19-year-old producing a superb bowling show after setting up the game with 136 in the second innings. Nair's skipper Wadkar was batting on 56 with Harsh Dubey (11 not out) for company.

Ranji Trophy Final: Rohit, Tendulkar give importnace to domestic cricket

Red-ball cricket needed it, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma wanted it. The growing emphasis on the importance of domestic cricket and red-ball games got another shot in the arm with Tendulkar and Rohit attending the third day's play during the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Vidarbha here on Tuesday. Coming off an excellent 4-1 series win over England with a depleted Indian side and heading into IPL 2024 season, Rohit appeared relaxed and was spotted in the Mumbai dressing room during the afternoon, with the dominant hosts running away with the contest on the field. Rohit was seen scrolling through his phone while also chatting with Mumbai teammates including Shardul Thakur, but how did the India skipper made his way to the domestic giants' dressing room with a phone while not being a part of the squad remained an intriguing question. With the backdrop of Shreyas Iyer missing out on a BCCI contract and also losing his spot in the Indian Test side, Rohit witnessed the ...

Ranji Trophy Final: Musheer Khan credits Sachin's presence for his hundred

Legendary Sachin Tendulka's presence on the second day served as a huge motivating factor for 19-year-old Mumbai batter Musheer Khan, whose patient 136 turned the Ranji Trophy final result into a mere formality with hosts out-batting Vidarbha by third day itself. The batting legend was present for the morning session on the third day as Musheer piled up his second century in the three knockout games of this season's Ranji Trophy to help Mumbai extend their advantage. Musheer's ton on the third day, came after his splendid 203 not out in the quarterfinal against Baroda and a vital 55 against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal, helping Mumbai set a mammoth 538-run target for Vidarbha. "I did not even know that Sachin sir was here," Musheer told the media after the end of play on Day 3. "But when I was batting on 60, I saw on him on the big screen and (thereon) I batted with the motivation that he is watching today and I have to impress sir," he said. Tendulkar's along with India captain Ro

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

Vidarbha defeat Madhya Pradesh by 62 runs, to meet Mumbai in Ranji final

The pace bowling pair of Aditya Thakare and Yash Thakur battered the Madhya Pradesh tail as Vidarbha defeated their rivals by 62 runs to set up a Ranji Trophy title clash with Mumbai, here on Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh, who were in a precarious position at stumps on day four at 228/6 requiring 93 more runs to win, withered in the face of hostile bowling from the duo who shared the spoils in the first session of the final day to earn Vidarbha a memorable semifinal win. Madhya Pradesh were finally bundled out for 258 in 81.3 overs as their hopes of entering the final for the third time in the premier domestic tournament were dashed. This is Vidarbha's third entry into the Ranji final, and on both the occasions they have won the title, defeating Delhi (2017-18) and Saurashtra (2018-19) respectively. Chasing a target of 321 for victory, Madhya Pradesh, the 2021-22 Ranji champion, were still in the match despite losing six wickets, but Thakare and Thakur were on song on the final day, wi

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

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