All posts tagged: Ranji Trophy news

‘My mistake surprised even me’: Bengal captain Easwaran suffers bizarre run out after leaving crease for drinks in Ranji Trophy match | Cricket News

‘My mistake surprised even me’: Bengal captain Easwaran suffers bizarre run out after leaving crease for drinks in Ranji Trophy match | Cricket News

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The opening day of the second half of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season witnessed some bizarre moments across the country, but none could match the unusual dismissal that Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran experienced on Thursday. Batting for his first century in First-Class cricket in over a year, Easwaran looked well set to break the drought after Services opted to field first at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani. Teaming up with Sudip Chatterjee, Easwaran put on a 151-run partnership before a lapse in judgment and awareness at the crease from the non-striker’s end marked his dismissal in unusual fashion. The brain-fade occurred off the final delivery of the 41st over when Easwaran’s opening partner, Chatterjee, tapped a delivery from Services’ bowler Aditya Kumar back to him. Easwaran stepped out of his crease and began walking off the field, assuming the over was complete, and drinks were called in a clear misunderstanding of the situation. However, the ball had brushed the bowler’s fingers and rolled back to the stumps, all Services needed to do was …

TN huffs and puffs to draw Vidarbha, but lots on the plate to bother

TN huffs and puffs to draw Vidarbha, but lots on the plate to bother

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The sigh of relief in the Tamil Nadu camp when they pulled off a draw against Vidarbha in Coimbatore may have echoed all the way to Chennai. For a team that started the Ranji Trophy season with a two-week long camp in Coimbatore, including centre-wicket training sessions, they are without a win in two matches here. They suffered an innings defeat against Jharkhand and managed to avoid another against the defending champions, who through the four days, showed the gulf in class in the most brutal fashion. On the eve of the game, when Vidarbha began their warm-up drills, they did so with the ‘Tum Hi Ho’ song from Aashiqui 2 blurting in the speaker placed outside their dressing room. The romance between Vidarbha and red-ball cricket was hard to miss. Like Tamil Nadu, they were without four first eleven players, but in contrast to the hosts, they relished the challenge. It is an outfit that understands that to go all the way to lift the title, they need to suffer in the middle. Over …

Why Kerala cricket can take heart from run to Ranji Trophy final

Why Kerala cricket can take heart from run to Ranji Trophy final

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At the presentation ceremony, Kerala captain Sachin Baby fired a friendly warning, turning his head towards Vidarbha cricketers: “You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time!” The banter, finally, sprinkled some cheer on the face of Kerala’s downcast cricketers, hands wrapped over each other’s shoulders, collective in their passage of grief. Commiserations and consolation flowed. Some of Vidarbha’s cricketers, had arms of comfort around the disconsolate Kerala counterparts. Vanquished in last year’s final, they could relate to their plight. Kerala players reciprocated with uneasy smiles, but the pain was evident in their hollow eyes. What would pique them when they reflect on a memorable journey but with a heartbreak twist at the climax is the moments that they didn’t seize and the tactical naivety they betrayed in clutch junctures. A big round of applause for Kerala 👏 They played some fantastic cricket and scripted history by making it to their first ever #RanjiTrophy Final 👌👌@IDFCFIRSTBank Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/up5GVaflpp pic.twitter.com/c9Xx6RCwza — BCCI …

How guests Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarvate worked in tandem to take Kerala to an unprecedented summit clash

How guests Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarvate worked in tandem to take Kerala to an unprecedented summit clash

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Jalaj Saxena’s First-Class debut came two days after his 19th birthday in December 2005 against Kerala in his hometown Indore. He would meet them again the next year in Palakkad in his third appearance, alongside Amay Khurasiya, the only India international in the Madhya Pradesh XI then. In a twist of cricketing fate a staggering 149 matches into his red-ball career, the 38-year-old Saxena would see his dream of a Ranji Trophy final realised with Kerala on Friday – nine years after he left his home state – with head coach Khurasiya in his first season in charge of the side. Nagpur-born Aditya Sarvate’s only two meetings against Kerala ended in victories. Part of the Vidarbha side that wiped out Kerala in their only two knockout meetings – the Ranji quarterfinal in 2016-17 and the semi-final in Wayanad in 2018-19 – Sarvate even claimed a match-winning six-wicket haul in the first meeting in Surat. After his third unsuccessful Ranji final last year, the 35-year-old Sarvate secured a fourth appearance in the summit clash alongside Saxena …

Ranji Trophy drama: Kerala virtually in final after securing two-run lead over Gujarat | Cricket News

Ranji Trophy drama: Kerala virtually in final after securing two-run lead over Gujarat | Cricket News

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Streaks of impetuousness and a truckload of nerves were laid bare on the field as Kerala and Gujarat’s block-buster Ranji Trophy semifinal at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad confirmed an outright leader on the fifth morning. With only 28 runs and three wickets to play with, Kerala’s trusted lieutenants Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarvate pulled up their socks and lengths to propel their adopted state team towards their first Ranji Trophy final in 74 years since the side first appeared in the prestigious tournament in 1951-52. In their 352nd Ranji appearance, Kerala’s immense resolve under coach Amay Khurasiya and skipper Sachin Baby drafted the golden final berth after the side saw off Gujarat’s lower-order rearguard during the pursuit of a 457-run first-innings score. By securing a two-run first innings lead at the half-way stage of the final day’s play, Kerala virtually secured a place in the final where they are expected to play Vidarbha. It all boiled down to that one run, Kerala’s favoured mind-numbing zone of the season. The same significant one run …

Ajinkya Rahane still hopeful of India comeback, says ‘fire and passion’ still there | Cricket News

Ajinkya Rahane still hopeful of India comeback, says ‘fire and passion’ still there | Cricket News

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The national selectors seem to have moved on from him, but Ajinkya Rahane has not given up hope of putting on an India jersey again. The 36-year-old last played for the country in the West Indies almost two years ago, but still believes he has it in him to contribute to the national side. Having guided Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy semifinals, quality innings at the business end of the tournament can put Rahane’s name in contention, with a tour of England coming up in the summer. “There is still fire and passion in me. I’m playing Ranji Trophy at the moment, trying to give my all to the Mumbai team. The goal is clear to make another comeback,” Rahane told The Indian Express a day before he leads defending champions Mumbai against Vidarbha in Nagpur. Story continues below this ad Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy fixture against Meghalaya (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty) He banks on his experience and fitness and believes age is …

Yashasvi Jaiswal added to Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad for semifinal vs Vidarbha | Cricket News

Yashasvi Jaiswal added to Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad for semifinal vs Vidarbha | Cricket News

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After missing out of the Champions Trophy squad, Yashasvi Jaiswal was on Thursday drafted into the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad ahead of their semifinal clash with Vidarbha on February 17. Mumbai outclassed Haryana by 152 runs in their quarterfinal match at Kolkata on Tuesday. Jaiswal had previously played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy this season but could muster only 4 and 26 as his team went to down to Jammu and Kashmir in a shocker of a result. Things didn’t get better for Jaiswal in the Indian setup with the youngster then joining India for the 3-match ODI series against England where despite making his debut in the format in Nagpur, he could just score 15. After that, he had to sit out the next two ODIs as India went on to win the series 3-0. Jaiswal, who was in the preliminary squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, was on Tuesday moved to the list of non-travelling substitutes alongside Shivam Dube and Mohammed Siraj, meaning they will travel to Dubai for India’s matches only …

We haven’t cracked the code of how to cross the line in the knockouts: Tamil Nadu coach Lakshmipathy Balaji | Cricket News

We haven’t cracked the code of how to cross the line in the knockouts: Tamil Nadu coach Lakshmipathy Balaji | Cricket News

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The writing was pretty much on the wall for Tamil Nadu. It was imprinted the moment they lost to Jharkhand and thereby booked a quarterfinals date with Vidarbha in Nagpur. And after four days, the inevitable happened on Tuesday as Vidarbha defeated Tamil Nadu by a massive 198-run margin to confirm another quarterfinal exit. As has been the story forever in Ranji Trophy knockouts, it was with the bat where they lost again on a green top in an away fixture, prolonging their red-ball title drought for another season at least. Having made the semi-finals last season, TN had the best intentions to go a step further this time, with a lot of focus put primarily on Ranji Trophy. Having remained unbeaten in the first half of the season, it was in the last two matches – when it mattered – that they came up short. And compared to previous performances on green tops, this should hurt TN, as Vidarbha’s lower-order showed better application while batting first. Coming to bat on the second afternoon, TN …

Ranji Trophy: An India call is not expected, but Jalaj Saxena continues all-round shows to keep Kerala afloat vs J&K | Cricket News

Ranji Trophy: An India call is not expected, but Jalaj Saxena continues all-round shows to keep Kerala afloat vs J&K | Cricket News

Published by Parlour News

Jalaj Saxena is 38 and he chuckles that he “doesn’t really expect the phone to ring tomorrow.” That is cricket-speak for getting picked to play for India, and the selectors calling up with the news. It’s just that instead of staring at the phone waiting eternally for it to ring, he decided to go hammer and tongs against the run of play, and keep reminding the young ‘uns that a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal is five days long. He is not filmy enough to say, ‘Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.’ But for 78 balls, he kept punching holes in a pretty sturdy J&K bowling unit, almost teasing them for not managing to tame an old ‘un like him. His 67 had six fours and three sixes, looking utterly unbothered by cloying pace or taunting spin. “It’s an unrealistic dream (being picked for India),” but what’s left if you stop dreaming, he says. So, might as well keep putting himself out there, and reminding selectors of what they are overlooking. Story continues below this ad Saxena’s …

Ranji wrap: Spin shines for Mumbai, Ankit resists for Haryana; familiar collapse for TN | Cricket News

Ranji wrap: Spin shines for Mumbai, Ankit resists for Haryana; familiar collapse for TN | Cricket News

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Spinners give Mumbai an opening After two frustrating sessions, Mumbai’s spinners Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani brought them back into the contest against Haryana at the Eden Gardens. The two spinners who scored 97 and 91 respectively to rescue Mumbai with the bat, played their part with the ball as well at a critical juncture when Haryana seemed to be running away with the game. After shutting out Mumbai for 315 in the first session, skipper Ankit Kumar led from the front once again with the bat, scoring 136. The 27-year-old opener is known for his gritty knocks and on Sunday, he largely struck to it to carve out a century that deflated Mumbai attack. Though none of his teammates so far have managed to convert the starts, he fought single-handedly to push Haryana closer to Mumbai’s total and beyond. At one stage, it appeared Haryana would easily go past Mumbai’s total but Kotian and Mulani struck crucial blows to take two wickets each. It meant at the end of Day 2, Haryana were placed …