The Ranji Trophy resumed after a near two-month break, with Round 6 of the Elite Group stage getting underway on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Several members of India’s ODI setup featured in the round, including Shubman Gill, though it proved to be a difficult return for many batters across spin-friendly surfaces.
India ODI captain Shubman Gill endured another lean outing as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck during Punjab’s innings against Saurashtra in their Elite Group B clash at the Niranjan Shah Stadium (Ground C), Rajkot. Gill was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Parth Bhut, who finished with impressive figures of 5 for 33.
The match saw a staggering 23 wickets fall on Day 1, with both sides struggling on a sharply turning pitch. Punjab were bowled out for 139, with Ravindra Jadeja (2/48) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (2/36) providing strong support to Bhut.
“Arpit Vasavada is an exceptional cricketer who has consistently proven to be a dependable batter in all situations. His commitment, discipline, and passion for the game set him apart,” said Jaydev Shah, a BCCI Apex Council member.
Earlier, Saurashtra had elected to bat after winning the toss but were dismissed for 172 in 47.1 overs. Jay Gohil top-scored with 82 off 117 balls, while Prerak Mankad contributed 32. Punjab spinner Harpreet Brar was the standout bowler with figures of 6 for 38, while Jass Inder claimed two wickets.
Punjab’s resistance came through Prabhsimran Singh (44), Anmolpreet Singh (35), and Uday Saharan (23), but the visitors failed to cope with sustained spin pressure. At stumps, Saurashtra were 24 for 3 in their second innings, holding an overall lead of 57 runs, with Gohil (8)* and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (5)* unbeaten.
The day also marked a special occasion as the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) felicitated Arpit Vasavada on his 100th first-class appearance. Former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah and SCA president Jaydev Shah presented Vasavada with a memento in the presence of Cheteshwar Pujara, Jaydev Unadkat, Ravindra Jadeja, and members of both teams.
Ranji Trophy Round 6 – Day 1 scores
- Andhra vs Vidarbha: Vidarbha 267/7 (Yash Rathod 104*)
- Goa vs Maharashtra: Maharashtra 116/3
- Karnataka vs Madhya Pradesh: MP 244/5 (Venkatesh Iyer 87)
- Saurashtra vs Punjab: Saurashtra 172 & 24/3; Punjab 139 all out
- Kerala vs Chandigarh: Kerala 139 all out; Chandigarh 142/1 (lead by 3 runs)
- Gujarat vs Railways: Gujarat 62/3
- Puducherry vs Jammu & Kashmir: Puducherry 98/3
- Hyderabad vs Mumbai: Mumbai 332/4 (Sarfaraz Khan 142*, Siddhesh Lad 104)
- Chhattisgarh vs Delhi: Delhi 216 all out; Chhattisgarh 52/0 (trail by 164)
- Rajasthan vs Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh 314/4
- Assam vs Haryana: Assam 75/2
- Baroda vs Nagaland: Nagaland 96/5
- Tamil Nadu vs Odisha: Tamil Nadu 281/7 (four half-centuries)
- Bengal vs Services: Bengal 340/4 (Sudip Chatterjee 100*)
- Tripura vs Uttarakhand: Tripura 266 all out; Uttarakhand 7/0 (trail by 259)
- Uttar Pradesh vs Jharkhand: Jharkhand 71/0
- Bihar vs Manipur (Plate Group final): Bihar 79/5