Ravindra Jadeja was the standout performer among the Indian superstars in the Ranji Trophy on Friday, taking 12 wickets for Saurashtra. In contrast, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant struggled to make an impact for their respective teams.
Jadeja’s impressive haul of 5/66 in the first innings was followed by an even better 7/38 in the second innings at Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium. His performance helped Saurashtra secure a 10-wicket victory with a bonus point against Delhi in their Elite Group D match.
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The match also marked the return of India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who failed to impress, scoring just 1 and 17 in his two innings.
Meanwhile, the much-anticipated comeback of Rohit Sharma for defending champions Mumbai was another disappointment. After being dismissed for a shaky 3 off 19 balls on the opening day, Rohit showed glimpses of his brilliance in the second innings, hitting three sixes and putting on a 54-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
However, Rohit failed to convert his start and was dismissed for 28 off 35 balls, which included two fours and three sixes. This was his highest first-class score since his 52 in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand last October.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had been the only Indian batter to score significant runs against New Zealand and Australia, also had a forgettable return to the Ranji Trophy, falling for scores of 4 and 26.
Shreyas Iyer, who had been in excellent form in the first round of the group stage matches, also struggled, scoring just 17 off 16 balls in Mumbai’s second innings after making 11 off 7 balls in the first innings.
As the specialist batters struggled, India veteran Shardul Thakur stepped up, following his first-innings 51 with an unbeaten 113 in the second innings, helping Mumbai recover from a precarious position along with Tanush Kotian.
In Bengaluru, Karnataka extended their dominance over a struggling Punjab side, who were bowled out for just 55 on the opening day on Thursday.
As the hosts strengthened their grip to hand Punjab an innings defeat, India’s ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill could do little but watch the game slip away.
Gill, making his return to domestic cricket, managed to score only 4 runs, adding to Punjab’s woes.
