J & K’s triumph
When Jammu and Kashmir lifted the Ranji Trophy this season, it was not merely a cricket result; it was a quiet rewriting of a national narrative.
When Jammu and Kashmir lifted the Ranji Trophy this season, it was not merely a cricket result; it was a quiet rewriting of a national narrative.
Amid high expectations of Jammu and Kashmir making a maiden clinch of the Ranji Trophy, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday flew to Hubli to cheer for the UT’s cricket team that will play the finals with Karnataka.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly lauded Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi for his impressive show in the Ranji Trophy, saying the right-arm fast bowler is on his way to donning national colours and could begin his international journey in England.
The disciplinary action follows one of the most volatile moments witnessed in recent domestic cricket finals, when a fiercely contested match briefly descended into confrontation.
After losing two big wickets in the second session, the Jammu and Kashmir team started the third session with caution, but Sahil soon changed gears, hitting three fours to Prasidh Krishna and Shreyas Gopal.
In 2023-24, the BCCI had stripped Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer of their annual contracts after the duo did not turn up for their respective state sides despite not being on national duty. While the move set a precedent for many, it may not be the same in the case of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli — with both the veterans battling a prolonged lean patch in red-ball cricket.
Former India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has announced his decision to retire from first-class cricket after the end of the ongoing 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. Saha, a veteran of 40 Tests, returned to represent his home state — West Bengal ahead of the ongoing season.
Though Mohammed Shami was a notable omission from India’s squad for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to his ongoing ankle injury recovery, there is a likelihood of him joining the team mid-way after making a return to competitive cricket through last two rounds of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
Opener Sudip Chatterjee scored a century as Bengal posted 269/7 in their first innings on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
The Ranji Trophy has been split into two phases this time, with the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy sandwiched in between.
