India batter Devdutt Padikkal has continued his fine form and played a fabulous innings for Karnataka in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26. He was with the Indian team in Delhi yesterday and flew to Rajkot in the evening to join the state side.
Batting at No.3, Padikkal scored 96 runs in 141 balls, including 11 boundaries. When he came to the crease, Karnataka had lost an early wicket in the 10th over before Nikin Jose departed in the 14th to leave the team reeling at the start.
However, he formed a prudent partnership with Karun Nair, who also played a fine hand of 73, to stabilise the innings and avoid further early hiccups, showing excellent control over his game. Padikkal has been in fine form since his return from the injury and hit a magnificent 150 against Australia A before the West Indies series.
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Ishan Kishan, who has not played a Test since 2023, has also started the tournament on a high note. Playing against Tamil Nadu, Kishan made a fabulous century, with the help of 12 boundaries and two maximums.
When he came to the crease, Jharkhand were reeling at 79/3 and kept losing wickets from the other end. However, Kishan played a captain’s knock with high intent to take his team to a good spot.
Like a few other batters, he has also been out of the setup and will look to make the most of the domestic competition. Kishan should continue scoring in the coming games and remind selectors of his abilities.
Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad has played a valiant knock for Maharashtra, scoring 91, with the help of 11 fours. He came in the middle of a collapse, as Maharashtra were reduced to 5/4 early in the day.
However, Gaikwad held his end tight and formed a fine partnership with Jalaj Saxena for the fifth wicket to bring some stability. While Jalaj departed after a well-made 49, Gaikwad continued batting and batted with supreme technique, just when the team needed it the most.
He has been out of Test contention, but this knock in the Ranji Trophy was a reminder of how good he can be, even in precarious situations. His superior talent has always been praised, and more such knocks will surely take him closer to the Test arena, even if he has fallen behind in the pecking order.
Karun Nair, who was recently ignored from the West Indies series, has made a statement with a fine knock for Karnataka. Partnering with Padikkal, Nair scored 73 runs in 126 deliveries, comprising nine fours, while batting at No.4.
His 146-run partnership with Padikkal for the third wicket pulled Karnataka out of troubled waters from 26/2. He played a range of sweep shots and showed his proficiency against slow bowlers after early strikes.
However, he would have liked to convert this knock into a big one since he looked good throughout his stay. The only chance for Nair to make a comeback to the national setup is by piling on big runs like last season, and he might count this as a missed opportunity.
Playing for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan took the attack back on Jammu and Kashmir bowlers after his team was reduced to 74/3 in 22.4 overs. He was going well on 42 in 48 balls, including six boundaries and a maximum, at a strike rate of 87.50.
However, he was involved in an unfortunate run out via a direct hit from P K Dogra against the run of play. He has just returned from an injury after missing the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy and could have made a substantial score.
Still, Sarfaraz showed what he brings to the table: an attacking game, particularly against spinners, to put the pressure back on the opponent, irrespective of the match situation. This knock must have helped him get into the groove after a lengthy layoff.
Opening the innings for Andhra, KS Bharat hit a marvellous ton against Uttar Pradesh. By Tea, he had reached his century, with a fine support from Sheikh Rashid from the other end.
Bharat last played for India in February 2024 before Rishabh Pant became fit and Dhruv Jurel rose in the pecking order. Then, the likes of N Jagadeesan and Ishan Kishan have also been around the setup, with the former even filling for Pant in The Oval Test and against West Indies at home.
So, Bharat needed to kick off the Ranji Trophy on a high note and made the most of what looks like nice batting conditions. He would hope to extend his score and end with a formidable knock.
Rising Bihar pacer Sakib Hussain flexed his bowling skills again on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy. He took six wickets for 41 runs in 11.3 overs against Arunachal Pradesh.
He always had the pace and has slowly been developing into a consistent operator in the longest format. His spell ensured the opponent was bundled on a mere 105 in the first innings.
This was his best spell, taking his maiden five-wicket haul in First Class cricket. For the unversed, Sakib has previously been with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Apart from several top performers, a few big names also made a false start to the Ranji Trophy. Among them were Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull, both of whom fell for a duck.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, playing his first game as a vice-captain, couldn’t score much and was out on 14. Other flops were Mayank Agarwal (2) against Saurashtra, Prabhsimran Singh (4) against Madhya Pradesh, and Atharva Taide (18) against Nagaland.
Riyan Parag (40) and Ayush Mhatre (28) had starts, but fell just before converting them into big ones. Ajinkya Rahane also made a stable start and compiled 27 before losing his wicket.
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