Ranji Trophy: Ruturaj's century, Sai Kishore's ten-fer, Harpreet, Shahbaz heroics highlights of round 2, day three
Ruturaj Gaikwad shines for Maharashtra while Sai Kishore's 10-wicket haul leads Tamil Nadu to victory in Ranji Trophy Round 2.
The penultimate day of the second round of the Ranji Trophy delivered a masterclass in both batting and bowling, featuring a stunning century from Ruturaj Gaikwad and a dominant ten-wicket haul by Sai Kishore. From nail-biting chases to clinical demolitions, day three saw Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, and Vidarbha secure crucial victories.
Tamil Nadu Dominates; Vidarbha Survives Scare
Tamil Nadu showcased absolute dominance by crushing Uttarakhand by an innings and 66 runs, fueled largely by the exceptional bowling of Sai Kishore, who claimed a ten-wicket haul to dismantle the opposition.
Meanwhile, three-time champions Vidarbha narrowly escaped a disaster against defending champions Jammu and Kashmir. After Ravikumar Samarth's brilliant 143 helped Vidarbha post 305, J&K were skittled for 123 in their second innings thanks to Nachiket Bhute's five-wicket haul. Chasing a modest 79 runs, Vidarbha collapsed to 26/6 as Sunil Kumar tore through the top order with 4/30. However, a gritty partnership between Harsh Dubey (22*) and Nachiket Bhute (13*) steered Vidarbha to a win with three wickets remaining.
Rinku Singh Powers Uttar Pradesh to Victory
In Elite Group A, Rinku Singh proved why he is a match-winner, scoring an unbeaten 118 in the first innings and adding 24 in the second to lead Uttar Pradesh to a 68-run win over Goa. UP's bowling attack, led by Zeeshan Ansari's 5/45 in the first innings and Kartik Yadav's 5/37 in the second, kept Goa in check.
Despite a brave 72 from Goa's Suyash Prabhudessai, the team was bowled out for 167 in the final chase. Rinku Singh was rightfully named the Player of the Match for his all-round contribution.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne Shine for Maharashtra
Elite Group C saw a massive batting display from Maharashtra. Ankit Bawne notched his 26th first-class century with a mammoth 169, while Ruturaj Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 101. Their efforts propelled Maharashtra to a declared total of 527/5, establishing a massive lead of 358 runs over Jharkhand.
Jharkhand ended the day at 130/1 in their second innings, with Shikhar Mohan (74*) and Utkarsh Singh (45*) fighting to keep the game alive, though Maharashtra still holds a lead of 228 runs.
Harpreet Brar and Shahbaz Ahmed Lead the Way
In Elite Group B, Punjab's dominance was cemented by Harpreet Brar, who ripped through the Chhattisgarh lineup to take 7/56. After Punjab posted 456—thanks to centuries from Uday Saharan (161) and Salil Arora (107)—Chhattisgarh was bundled out for 206. Forced to follow on, Chhattisgarh ended the day at 123/3, still trailing Punjab by 127 runs.
In another clash, Bengal secured a 60-run victory over Services, powered by the all-round brilliance of Shahbaz Ahmed. Ahmed claimed a seven-wicket match haul (4/35 and 3/44) to ensure Services fell short while chasing 209 runs, eventually being bowled out for 148.
Other Notable Performances:
- MP vs Puducherry: Rajat Patidar scored 122* to help Madhya Pradesh reach 345 all out. Puducherry ended the day at 98/1 in their second innings, trailing by 70 runs.
- UP's Lower Order: Yash Dalal provided a late spark for Uttar Pradesh with a quick-fire 36* off just 14 balls.