Ranji Trophy: Moliya Smashes Triple Ton; Badoni Joins Kohli, Gambhir in Elite Club
Priyanshu Moliya hits a massive 321 for Baroda, while Ayush Badoni joins the elite club of Kohli and Gambhir with a double ton for Delhi.
The third round of the Ranji Trophy witnessed a feast of runs on Tuesday, highlighted by a mammoth maiden triple century from Baroda's Priyanshu Moliya and a historic double ton by Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni. While the batters dominated the landscape, veteran stars like Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja also made their mark as the action intensified across the Elite Groups.
Baroda's Moliya Hits Massive 321
In Elite Group A, Baroda put the defending champions, Jammu and Kashmir, on the back foot with a colossal batting display. Starting the day at 259/6 with Priyanshu Moliya already on 113, the batter went on a rampage. Moliya added another 208 runs to his tally, finishing with a staggering 321 runs off 492 balls, including 36 fours and one six.
He wasn't alone in the onslaught; Mahesh Pithiya also struck a century (102 off 214 balls) to propel Baroda to a massive total of 616. For Jammu and Kashmir, Sahil Lotra was the standout bowler, though he ended with figures of 4/160. J&K reached 6/0 by the end of the day.
Ayush Badoni's Historic Double Ton for Delhi
Elite Group C saw a special moment for Delhi as skipper Ayush Badoni entered the record books. Starting the day on 106*, Badoni accelerated to reach 210* off 228 balls, hitting 19 fours and three sixes. In doing so, he became only the third Delhi batter—joining legends Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir—to score double centuries in two successive first-class innings.
Badoni was well-supported by Sumit Mathur, who scored an unbeaten 150 off 253 balls, helping Delhi declare at 515/5. Jharkhand struggled in response, ending the day at 131/4, with Utkarsh Singh fighting back with an unbeaten 53.
Madhya Pradesh Secure Dominant Win
Madhya Pradesh displayed absolute dominance over Bihar in Elite Group A. After bowling Bihar out for 99 in the first innings, MP skipper Rajat Patidar smashed his second consecutive century of the tournament (109 off 133 balls). Along with Saksham Purohit's 132 and Yash Dubey's 84, MP declared at 407/8, leading by 308 runs.
The victory was sealed quickly as Bihar collapsed for just 134 runs in their second innings. Saransh Jain was the hero with the ball, claiming a phenomenal 13-wicket haul (7/40 and 6/49), handing MP a win by an innings and 174 runs.
Other Key Highlights Across Groups
Elite Group B: Punjab and Karnataka on the Move
- Punjab vs Hyderabad: Salil Arora recorded his third Ranji Trophy century with a score of 151, while Prabhsimran Singh (81) and Ramandeep Singh (52) contributed to a total of 431. Hyderabad responded strongly, ending the day at 193/2 with Abhirath Reddy (97) and Rahul Radesh (72*) leading the charge.
- Karnataka vs Tripura: In response to Tripura's 194, Karnataka reached 297/7, with half-centuries from Rohan Patil (72), KV Aneesh (68), and Karun Nair (63).
- Saurashtra vs Assam: Ravindra Jadeja contributed with both bat and ball, taking 2/92 and scoring 21. Saurashtra stood at 156/4, trailing Assam's 281, with Hetvik Kotak scoring a gritty 65.
Elite Group C & D: Shami's Magic and Mumbai's Power
In the Bengal vs Kerala clash, Shahbaz Ahmed played a whirlwind knock of 121 to take Bengal to 350. Kerala struggled against the pace of Mohammed Shami, who was lethal in a short spell, taking 3/20 in just eight overs to leave Kerala at 101/6.
Meanwhile, in Elite Group D, Mumbai posted a strong total of 430. The innings was anchored by centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (114) and Musheer Khan (109), with Tanush Kotian adding a vital 52*. Haryana ended the day at 108/2.