Wow! October 12 will not only be remembered for Lord Rinku’s birthday but a day marked when Team India broke all kinds of records. The third T20I against Bangladesh saw them hammer nearly 300 runs, which is absolutely unheard of against Test-playing nations. Sanju Samson was at his ominous best, hitting 11 boundaries and eight glorious maximums, five of which came off back-to-back deliveries. Apart from this, we saw Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy, where Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer failed to make an impact. On that note, here are the six most headline-worthy stories from October 12.
Ishan Kishan-Shreyas Iyer fail?
Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy saw a mixed bag of fortunes for prominent Indian players. Shreyas Iyer, desperate for runs to return to the Indian Test team, was dismissed for a duck. His Mumbai team struggled to match Baroda’s first-innings total of 290 as the Krunal Pandya-led side is well ahead in the game. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, also outside BCCI’s central contract, faltered for Jharkhand, despite batting on a good batting track.
Sanju Samson saves his career!
Sanju Samson’s maiden T20I century against Bangladesh in Hyderabad was a game-changer for him. After a series of failures, the Kerala-born lived up to his expectations, scoring 100 runs in just 40 balls. This innings not only boosted his confidence but improved his 2024 stats, which were quite bad prior to this encounter. Samson was in an ominous mood from the get-go, hammering four consecutive fours. Just after the powerplay, he hit one of the best sixes you’ll ever see when he pummelled Mustafizur Rehman over covers. Then came the Rishad Hossain over (10th) when Samson completely tore apart the leggie to smash him for as many as five successive sixes.
Harshit Rana losses, KKR win?
Prior to the third T20I, there were huge chances for Harshit Rana to make his much-anticipated debut for India. After all, he had done well in the opportunities he got in the IPL. However, Rana’s missed debut due to illness has a silver lining for KKR. The franchise can now retain him as an uncapped player (for Rs 4 crore) giving them a huge advantage in the upcoming IPL retention. While it’s disappointing for Rana to miss out on his international debut, this setback has a positive implication for KKR.
Advantage RCB?
Yash Dayal’s exclusion from the Indian Test squad is a relief for his IPL franchise, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The recent injury of the left-arm pacer left him out of the Indian squad for the New Zealand Tests. It also means he remains uncapped, allowing RCB to retain him at just Rs 4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 retention deadline (Oct 31). Interestingly, Yash Dayal isn’t even part of the reserves going along with the team.
Rishabh Pant was “faking it”
India’s star wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, has revealed that he staged an injury during the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa. Known for his playful antics, Pant admitted to informing the team physio of his act. Pant’s clever deception, which was initially revealed by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, helped disrupt South Africa’s momentum and contributed to India’s historic triumph in Barbados. Pant said, “I was telling the physio to take as much time as possible. We need to waste some time. He asked me, ‘Is your knee okay?’ I told him it’s fine; I’m just acting.”
Tilak Varma to lead India ‘A’
The BCCI has selected a 15-member squad for India ‘A’ to compete in the upcoming Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024. Led by Tilak Varma, the squad features several IPL stars. The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match will take place on October 19 in Oman. From the likes of Abhishek Sharma to Rahul Chahar, this India ‘A’ side is power-packed with insane T20 talent.
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