The Ranji Trophy is back! The fourth round began in an emphatic fashion. Defending champions Mumbai were down on the table and needed a win against Odisha. They are certainly heading towards that direction after Shreyas Iyer hit a fantastic ton (152*). He has knocked on India’s dwindling middle-order doors, smashing two hundreds in consecutive games. Another Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) release Venkatesh Iyer also hammered ton, while batting for Madhya Pradesh.
Ranji Trophy Round 1: Round 4 Day 1
Jalaj Saxena continues his Ranji Trophy legacy
Kerala’s veteran all-rounder Jalaj Saxena etched his name in the record books by becoming the first player in Ranji Trophy history to achieve the remarkable double of 6,000 runs and 400 wickets. The 37-year-old reached this milestone during Kerala’s match against Uttar Pradesh at St Xavier’s College Ground, where he claimed his 29th five-wicket haul in the tournament.
The achievement came when Saxena dismissed another star player Nitish Rana, his fourth victim in a spell that helped bundle out UP for just 162 runs. This historic feat just shows Saxena’s exceptional consistency in domestic cricket. Having begun his first-class journey with Madhya Pradesh at 18, where he amassed 4,041 runs and 159 wickets in an 11-year stint, Saxena found new heights after moving to Kerala ahead of the 2016-17 season. Kerala currently trail by just 80 runs, with 8 wickets in hand.
This milestone adds to Saxena’s impressive resume, which includes being only the fourth player in Indian domestic cricket history to complete the double of 9,000 runs and 600 wickets across all formats, joining the elite company of Vinoo Mankad, Madan Lal, and Parvez Rasool. It is a shame that Saxena has not got even a single opportunity to represent India in Test cricket.
Venkatesh Iyer with a statement 100 after KKR release
Recently released by Kolkata Knight Riders, Venkatesh Iyer responded in emphatic fashion with a blazing century for Madhya Pradesh against Bihar at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna. The middle-order batter, who has set a base price of Rs 2 crore for the upcoming IPL auction, showcased his aggressive intent with an unbeaten 118 off just 113 deliveries, including 11 fours and four sixes.
Walking in at 147/4, Iyer transformed the game’s momentum with his ODI-style approach. He reached his century off 101 balls and found excellent support in captain Shubham Sharma, who remained unbeaten on 134. Their partnership helped Madhya Pradesh dominate proceedings, reaching 381/4 at stumps on Day 1.
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Shreyas Iyer continues his “purple” patch
Making a strong case for his Test comeback, Shreyas Iyer continued his rich vein of form with a second consecutive century for Mumbai. Currently out of the Indian Test team, Iyer hammered an unbeaten 153 against Odisha at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC, Mumbai.
Coming in after captain Ajinkya Rahane’s golden duck, Iyer outpoured his class by reaching his century in just 101 balls. He found excellent support in Siddhesh Lad, with whom he built an unbroken 231-run partnership, with Lad contributing 116 not out. Their partnership came after Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s impressive 92 had set the platform for Mumbai.
Iyer’s innings, following his previous Ranji Trophy century, sends a strong message to the selectors as he aims to reclaim his spot in the Indian Test team, having last played in the format against England in January. Ever since the IPL 2024, Iyer has made 543 First-class runs at an average of almost 50.
Ranji Trophy Day 1 Round 4: Brief Scores
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra vs Services | SER 239/4 |
| Mumbai vs Odisha | MUM 385/3 |
| Gujarat vs Pondicherry | PND 254/4 |
| Vidarbha vs Himachal Pradesh | HP 263/6 |
| Rajasthan vs Hyderabad | HYD 261/5 |
| Karnataka vs Bengal | BEN 249/5 |
| Haryana vs Punjab | HAR 114 all-out | PUN 90/5 |
| Kerala vs UP | UP 162 all-out | KER 82/2 |
| Chandigarh vs Delhi | DEL 276 all-out | CHG 62/1 |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Manipur | MAN 266 all-out |
| Mizoram vs Goa | GOA 322/3 |
| Chhattisgarh vs Railways | CHG 252/3 |
| Andhra vs Uttarakhand | UTT 232/1 |
| Bihar vs Madhya Pradesh | MP 381/4 |
| Jharkhand vs Saurashtra | JHA 247/7 |
| Tripura vs Baroda | BAR 157/4 |
| Assam vs Tamil Nadu | TN 299/7 |
| Meghalaya vs J&K | MEG 73 all-out | J&K 125/6 |
| Nagaland vs Sikkim | SKM 157/7 |
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