After an exhilarating Ranji Trophy opening clashes last week, fans witnessed Round 2 with as many as 19 clashes going on simultaneously. Tamil Nadu, who finished atop after Round 1, travelled to the Capital City, to take on Delhi. Opener Sai Sudharsan starred with a remarkable 202 as TN piled on 379 runs on the opening day. However, other big names like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane faltered and had a day to forget. Moreover, Sanju Samson also returned for Kerala after his outstanding ton for India in the T20I against Bangladesh.
Poor day for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw
One high-octane clash between two Group A Elite teams was between state rivals Maharashtra and Mumbai. It was a day dominated by Mumbai as they have already taken a 94-run lead. Maharashtra skipper Gaikwad opted to bat first at the BKC stadium. It turned out to be a horrible decision as Maharashtra were bundled out for a paltry 126.
Gaikwad himself was undone in the very first over, courtesy of a superb delivery by Shardul Thakur. The track offered help to the pacers, with Thakur (2/51), Mohit Avasthi (3/31) and Royston Dias (2/32) taking seven wickets between them. Gaikwad, who is touted to lead India A in the tour of Australia, would love to put runs under his belt. He made 86 runs in the previous clash against Jammu and Kashmir.
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In reply to Maharashtra’s 126, Mumbai were themselves in a spot of bother. Prithvi Shaw was out in the third over, getting trapped against Dhadhe. Shaw continued his horrible form as the striking batter has struck only 1 fifty in his last 13 innings. Shaw’s opening partner Ayush Mhatre had a blast today as he smashed 127* runs and still remains unbeaten. Ajinkya Rahane, who posted a cryptic message yesterday, had a start but failed to convert his 31. Shreyas Iyer also remains unbeaten at 45.
Stupendous Sai Sudharsan & Impressive Ishan Kishan
While Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw failed, two lefties in Sai Sudharsan and Ishan Kishan impressed in their audition for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series later this year. India would be needing backup openers and the country has massive talent.
Sai Sudharsan hit his maiden First-Class double century in the second round of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. After Delhi captain Himmat Singh won the toss and decided to bowl first, Tamil Nadu took control with a solid 168-run opening partnership between Sudharsan and skipper Narayan Jagadeesan. Both batters took their time before unleashing their strokes. Jagadeesan eventually fell for 65, but Washington Sundar then partnered with Sudharsan, who was approaching his century as well.
Sudharsan has been in great form throughout the season, including a 159-ball 82 in the first round against Saurashtra. Earlier this year, he made his T20I debut for India against Zimbabwe and scored a century for India C in the Duleep Trophy.
Ishan Kishan shines for Jharkhand
Jharkhand’s Ishan Kishan dazzled in the Ranji Trophy, scoring a 101 against Railways. Batting at No.6, he rescued Jharkhand from a precarious position after an early collapse. Partnering with Virat Singh, they formed a 174-run stand for the fifth wicket, guiding Jharkhand to a comfortable total of 325/5. While Virat is already unbeaten at 103, Ishan’s aggressive batting was particularly impressive. His century strengthened his case for a potential Test comeback.
Ranji Trophy Round 2 Day 1 Brief Scores:
- Mumbai (220/3) lead by 92 runs vs Maharashtra (126/10)
- Gujarat (298/8) vs Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka vs Kerala (88/0)
- UP vs Haryana (242/6)
- Saurashtra vs Chhattisgarh (236/2)
- Delhi vs Tamil Nadu (379/1)
- Uttarakhand (313/8) vs Hyderabad
- Railways vs Jharkhand (325/5)
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