In the opening Group C match of the Ranji Trophy against Delhi, held at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani, fast bowler Mohammed Shami showcased his talent with a remarkable four-wicket performance for Bengal on Sunday.
Despite being overlooked by the national selectors, Shami delivered an outstanding performance, claiming 4 wickets for just 30 runs in 17.3 overs, which included nine maiden overs and an impressive economy rate of 1.70. His efforts helped bowl Delhi out for a total of 240 runs.
Alongside Shami, fellow Indian players Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar contributed to the bowling attack, with Akash taking 2 wickets for 74 runs in 17 overs and Mukesh securing 1 wicket for 43 runs in 17 overs. Additionally, off-spinner Aamir Gani made a significant impact by capturing three wickets for 45 runs.
In another match, Ravichandran Smaran made an impressive debut as the captain of Karnataka, scoring a crucial 126 runs against Andhra in a Group B encounter at the Dr Gokaraju Liala Gangaaraju ACA Cricket Ground in Vijayawada. Karnataka faced a tough start, finding themselves at 22/4, but Smaran’s century, along with contributions from wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith (58 runs) and Madhav Bajaj (33 runs), lifted the team to a total of 274 runs. At the end of the day, Andhra stood at 16/2, with Shikhar Shetty and Madhav Bajaj each taking a wicket.
In a separate Group B match between Saurashtra and Chhattisgarh at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ended Day 1 unbeaten on 72 runs, helping Saurashtra reach 308/4. Prerak Mankad also played well, remaining not out on 92, while opener Chirag Jani contributed with 83 runs.
Umesh Yadav shone for Punjab in their match against Assam in New Chandigarh, taking two wickets before bad light brought an early end to the day’s play, leaving Assam at 68/3.
In other Group C contests, Jharkhand’s Sikhar Mohan had an impressive innings, scoring 143 runs as Jharkhand finished Day 1 at 289/5 against Kerala in Jamshedpur. Gaurav Choudhary’s unbeaten 121 propelled Odisha to 272/3 against Gujarat in Ahmedabad, while Ankeet Bawne scored a century to help Maharashtra reach 289/5 against Services, with Prithvi Shaw contributing 70 runs.
In Group A, Akshay Wadkar and Yash Rathod both scored centuries, bringing Vidarbha to 292/5 against Pondicherry after a shaky start at 54/5. J&K’s Rohit Sharma achieved his first five-wicket haul after a two-year hiatus, helping bowl Madhya Pradesh out for 196 runs.
Baroda finished Day 1 at 204/3, with opener Shivalik Sharma scoring 62 runs and Deepak Hooda, back with his former team, remaining unbeaten on 38.
Rinku Singh and Madhav Kaushik each scored centuries for Uttar Pradesh in their match against Bihar, contributing to a strong recovery from 85/3 to finish Day 1 at 287/3.
In Group D, despite India Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal getting out for a duck, Mumbai’s new captain ended the day not out on 80, with Musheer Khan adding 65 runs as the team reached 249/5.
Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj took four wickets, leaving Himachal at 153/7 at the conclusion of Day 1, while Rajasthan’s Karan Lamba scored 103 runs, helping his team reach 286/4 against Tamil Nadu.
