All posts tagged: Ranji Trophy 2025-26

Sourav Ganguly tells Ajit Agarkar, BCCI to consider Auqib Nabi for ‘national colours’: ‘England the place to start’

Sourav Ganguly tells Ajit Agarkar, BCCI to consider Auqib Nabi for ‘national colours’: ‘England the place to start’

Published by Parlour News

Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer, is breaking down the door when it comes to selection for the national team. The 29-year-old took his seventh five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, as he helped his side take a first-innings lead in the summit clash against Karnataka at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground in Hubballi. Owing to this first innings lead, Jammu and Kashmir are now on the cusp of their maiden Ranji title, and if this happens, it would be a historic feat for the entire region. Auqib Nabi took a fifer in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. (PTI) Looking at Nabi’s performance in the summit clash, former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly heaped praise. He told the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, to consider him for the national team. Dada stated that England would be the best place for Auqib to get a taste of the blue jersey. India are slated to tour England for a white-ball series in July 2026 and hence the Prince of Kolkata believes …

‘He started with zero facilities and travelled 60km to train’ — Meet the men taking J&K to their first Ranji final | Cricket News

‘He started with zero facilities and travelled 60km to train’ — Meet the men taking J&K to their first Ranji final | Cricket News

Published by Webster

How to weld the J and the K together for a W had seemed like a decade-long problem for Jammu & Kashmir, often thwarting their Ranji Trophy ambitions. “This team has been together for three years now. This season they gelled and became one. It’s the biggest challenge we’ve overcome — and look where we are,” says J&K bowling coach P Krishna Kumar, after his team’s maiden Ranji final appearance, secured with a six-wicket win over Bengal in the semifinals. While the unassuming Paras Dogra was brought in from Himachal Pradesh to lead the side, Krishna Kumar faced a subtler challenge. Bowlers from the Kashmir Valley were ridiculously talented. But to take them to the next level, a coach first had to earn their trust. 𝙎𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙋𝙐𝙍𝙀 𝙅𝙐𝘽𝙄𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 🤩 J&K create history as they defeat Bengal by 7️⃣ wickets to book their ticket to the #RanjiTrophy Final for the very first time 🫡 Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/QXyCuRHJ6e@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/VBKPD9I9mX — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 18, 2026 “When I joined three years ago, I studied the different …

Mohammed Siraj appointed as Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy captain | Cricket News

Mohammed Siraj appointed as Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy captain | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been named the captain of the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy team for the remainder of the season, while top-order bat G Rahul Singh has been named as his deputy. Hyderabad will face Mumbai and Chhattisgarh in their remaining two fixtures of the season at home starting on January 22 and 29 respectively. Siraj is currently playing in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. He picked up two wickets in the first game at Vadodara and was wicketless in the second game at Rajkot. Hyderabad is placed fourth in Ranji Trophy Group D with 13 points, giving them an unlikely chance of qualification for the quarter-finals. Tilak Varma, who was named the skipper of the side ahead of the series, was part of the Indian squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand before getting an abdominal injury. The Indian Express understands that although Siraj has had no captaincy experience at the professional level previously, he was entrusted with the responsibility due to his red-ball experience and achievements for …

Ajitesh gets going in red ball cricket for TN; Kartik Yadav bags a 5-for on debut for UP

Ajitesh gets going in red ball cricket for TN; Kartik Yadav bags a 5-for on debut for UP

Published by Parlour News

It was a day when two debutants came to the fore for Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. On a pitch where bowlers were not finding it easy to make inroads, 19-year-old left-arm spinner Kartik Yadav returned with a five-fer while 23-year-old batsman G Ajitesh showed he can adjust to the demands of long format, scoring 86 off 153 deliveries. With the pitch hardly taking any turn, Tamil Nadu’s total of 455 doesn’t look safe given the way Uttar Pradesh went about with their response which saw them end Day 2 at 87/1 as the hosts needed to pull back with some tight lines. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Resuming the day at 282/5 overnight, TN had their sights on a total in excess of 500, especially with Baba Indrajith batting on 128 and with Ajitesh, Sonu Yadav and R Sai Kishore to come. Though they ended up losing Indrajith around the hour mark into the day, Ajitesh’s 106 run stand with Sonu eased TN’s nerves. In what has been a nightmare outing with the bat so …

Siddhesh Lad’s career-best 170 puts Mumbai on top against Puducherry

Siddhesh Lad’s career-best 170 puts Mumbai on top against Puducherry

Published by Webster

For many seasons since making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2013, Siddhesh Lad has been labelled the crisis man of Mumbai cricket for dragging his side out of a hole and taking them to safety. Once in a while, however, even nature can tend to help such cricketers by giving a relaxed scenario to ply their trade. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO It was one such instance for the 33-year-old right-hander in the ongoing Group D encounter against Puducherry, where all the stars seemed to have aligned for him to have a day out with the bat. An eased-out pitch, a fast outfield and a tiring, listless attack meant that Lad could finally keep his mind at peace and blaze away to a career-best 170 off 285 balls on Day 2 on Monday. The early signs that he could be in for the long haul were seen on Sunday, when he ended Day 1 on 80 not out. On Monday, he carried on from where he left, unleashing an exquisite cover drive and straight drive off …

Siddhesh Lad’s career-best 170 puts Mumbai on top against Puducherry

Siddhesh Lad’s career-best 170 puts Mumbai on top against Puducherry

Published by Webster

For many seasons since making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2013, Siddhesh Lad has been labelled the crisis man of Mumbai cricket for dragging his side out of a hole and taking them to safety. Once in a while, however, even nature can tend to help such cricketers by giving a relaxed scenario to ply their trade. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO It was one such instance for the 33-year-old right-hander in the ongoing Group D encounter against Puducherry, where all the stars seemed to have aligned for him to have a day out with the bat. An eased-out pitch, a fast outfield and a tiring, listless attack meant that Lad could finally keep his mind at peace and blaze away to a career-best 170 off 285 balls on Day 2 on Monday. The early signs that he could be in for the long haul were seen on Sunday, when he ended Day 1 on 80 not out. On Monday, he carried on from where he left, unleashing an exquisite cover drive and straight drive off …

From Baramulla to Ranji stardom: Meet Auqib Nabi, Jammu and Kashmir’s silent strike weapon | Cricket News

From Baramulla to Ranji stardom: Meet Auqib Nabi, Jammu and Kashmir’s silent strike weapon | Cricket News

Published by Webster

P Krishna Kumar, Jammu and Kashmir’s bowling coach in Ranji Trophy, never doubted that Auqib Nabi Dar was the sharpest arrow in his quiver. But the warrior needed his charioteer to guide him with direction. “When I came to J&K as coach, it was evident Auqib had a beautiful natural bowling action, like Md Shami’s wrist position. But his outswinger needed variations for him to become effective. Not only is he a skilled bowler, he learns quickly,” coach Krishna says about the leading domestic wicket-taker, though it’s early days in the Ranji season – only two matches old. Yet, his 17 wickets, including a 7/24 match haul against Rajasthan in the second round, and an average of 9.25, make Auqib a fast bowling talent, to sit up and take notice, if you can look past a speed gun and the fixation with 140 kph. Krishna puts Auqib’s range at “125 – 131 kph”, though the bowler who collected his third 5-wkt haul of 2025-26, including one in the Duleep Trophy, politely nudges decision-makers to consider …