The fourth round of the Ranji Trophy kicked-off with a series of fine performances. Leading the charge for Mumbai, Shreyas Iyer made a brilliant comeback, scoring an unbeaten 150 that showcased his class and reignited his confidence. Young talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi also impressed, crafting a solid 92, though he fell just short of a well-deserved century. Adding to Mumbai’s strong position, seasoned domestic player Siddesh Lad contributed a crucial 115*, guiding the team to a commanding total of 385 for 3 against Odisha on Day 1.
Kerala’s all-rounder Jalaj Saxena achieved a historic milestone in the Ranji Trophy by becoming the first player to score 6,000 runs and take 400 wickets, reaching this feat in the match against Uttar Pradesh. Saxena’s five-wicket haul on Day 1 limited Uttar Pradesh to a modest 162, giving Kerala a solid start as they ended the day at 82 for 2. In a similar display of skill, Punjab’s Jassinder Singh claimed four crucial wickets against Haryana, restricting them to just 114. Despite the bowling success, Punjab faced challenges, closing Day 1 at 90 for 5.
Delhi’s Yash Dhull stood out on Day 1, scoring a composed 121 under pressure after early wickets fell against Chandigarh. His impressive knock showcased the young batter’s maturity, though Delhi’s line-up struggled to build on his innings, posting a total of 276. In reply, Chandigarh showed resilience, finishing Day 1 at a steady 63/1.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand’s batters dominated against Andhra, with Priyanshu Khanduri leading the charge with an unbeaten 107, well-supported by Avneesh Sudha’s solid 86. Together, they placed Uttarakhand in a commanding position at 232/1 by the end of the day.
For Madhya Pradesh, Shubham Sharma’s unbeaten 134 and Venkatesh Iyer’s unbeaten 118 took their side to 381/4 at the end of day’s play. With both these batters well-set, they would be eager to pile on as many runs as possible on Day 2. What is a standout feature of this match is Iyer’s fantastic strike rate of 104.42.
Tamil Nadu’s batters were scoring their runs at a fast strike-rate as well, piling up 299 runs on Day 1 against Assam for the loss of seven wickets, with Vijay Shankar’s 76 and C Andre Siddharth’s 94 leading the way for their side. Baroda finished Day 1 at 157/4 against Tripura, with Ajit Sheth’s solid knock of 74 providing a steady start. Skipper Krunal Pandya, currently unbeaten on 23*, will play a crucial role as Baroda looks to build a competitive total on Day 2. With the team relying heavily on Pandya’s form, his innings could be important in setting the tone for the rest of the match.
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Bengal skipper #AnustupMajumdar stitched a crucial stand of hundred with Sudip Chatterjee to help his side recover against Karnataka.@Fancricket12 https://t.co/R6QCmiSqao
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