Cricket

Newly appointed Delhi captain Ayush Badoni showcased his exceptional talent with a scintillating century, guiding Delhi towards a potential first-innings lead against Jharkhand in their Ranji Trophy Group D encounter.Badoni, known for his exploits with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, displayed his hunger for runs with an unbeaten 116 off 144 deliveries. His knock propelled Delhi to 238 for 5 at stumps on Day 3, in response to Jharkhand's formidable first-innings total of 382.Badoni's innings was a masterclass in strokeplay, featuring 11 boundaries and four sixes. He fearlessly attacked the Jharkhand bowlers, hitting two sixes off former Mumbai Indians spinner Anukul Roy. His partnership with Sumit Mathur (19*) for the unbroken sixth wicket has added 80 runs, but Delhi still require 148 runs on the final day to secure three points and maintain their quarter-final hopes.The contrast between Badoni's quality and that of some of his teammates was evident. While Badoni played with confidence and aggression, others struggled to make significant contributions. Anuj Rawat (52) was the only other top-order batsman to make a notable impact.Delhi's designated skipper Himmat Singh, who was replaced by Badoni after a defeat against Chandigarh, continued his poor form with a duck. He is likely to be replaced by Jonty Sidhu in the next match.The most significant partnership for Delhi was the 60-run stand between Mayank Gusain (24) and Badoni for the fifth wicket. Badoni's ability to counterattack and take the aerial route set him apart from his colleagues.On the final day, Badoni will aim for a double century, but he will need support from Mathur and lower-order batter Siddhant Sharma, both of whom have shown their batting prowess earlier this season.

On a gloomy day in the national capital, where play was affected by smog in the morning and bad light in the evening, Jharkhand opener Sharandeep Singh exhibited ample patience and a tight defence to compile an unbeaten 64. He consumed 183 balls, making for a slow-moving opening day between Delhi and Jharkhand in a Group D Ranji Trophy tie at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.At stumps, the visitor reached 136 for three in the 55 overs that were possible. Jharkhand could have been in a stronger position had left-hand batter Utkarsh Singh not flicked a half-volley on leg stump from Siddhant Sharma to Yash Dhull at square leg in the final session. He had batted well until then to make 46.On a hazy morning that led to the start of play being delayed by two hours, Delhi elected to bowl. With Simarjeet Singh back from injury and Money Grewal drafted into the playing XI, the host was relying on its pacers to exploit a pitch with a smattering of grass.BreakthroughWhile Siddhant and Simarjeet shared the new ball, Grewal managed to provide the opening breakthrough early in his first spell. Having denied Nazim a run off his bowling for 15 deliveries, Grewal was rewarded when he pitched the ball full and invited a lavish drive, inducing an outside edge that was snaffled by Himmat Singh at second slip.Before lunch, Simarjeet was perhaps a tad guilty of bowling a wider line that allowed the batters to leave at their will. When he went full and straight to Aryaman Sen in the fourth over after the 40-minute interval, the ball rattled the stumps for his lone wicket.Sharandeep and Utkarsh were able to lend some solidity to the innings by stitching together a 93-run stand in 30.2 overs for the third wicket. Utkarsh drove a few times with authority through cover point and mid-off against the pacers before squandering it away with a loose shot.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock, with the team languishing in fourth place in Group D after a dismal nine-wicket defeat to Chandigarh. In an attempt to turn their fortunes around, the team has sacked Himmat Singh as captain and elevated Ayush Badoni to the leadership role.Badoni's first challenge will be to address the team's batting woes. In the loss to Chandigarh, only Yash Dhull showed any resistance, while Badoni himself fell to a rash shot after a promising start. The middle order, led by Himmat, has also been underwhelming, with the 28-year-old averaging just 30.33 in four innings.The spin department has also been a concern. Off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen and left-arm spinner Shivank Vashisth were ineffective on a helpful surface, lacking accuracy and consistency. Both have been dropped for the upcoming match against Jharkhand.Jharkhand, meanwhile, is two spots below Delhi in sixth place with just seven points. Stand-in skipper Virat Singh will be looking to lead his team to victory and improve their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. Singh is the team's leading run-getter this season with 254 runs at an average of 42.33.The match between Delhi and Jharkhand will be a crucial test for both teams. Delhi needs a win to revive their campaign, while Jharkhand will be eager to close the gap on the top four. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from Wednesday.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock, prompting a leadership change. Himmat Singh, who captained the team in the first four rounds, has been replaced by Ayush Badoni. The decision comes after a crushing defeat to Chandigarh, which exposed Delhi's batting frailties.Badoni, who scored 49 and 1 in the two innings against Chandigarh, will lead the team in their next match against Jharkhand. The 23-year-old has been in impressive form this season, scoring two centuries and a fifty in four matches.Yash Dhull, who was the Delhi skipper during the 2022-23 Ranji season, has been named as the vice-captain. Dhull, who is also a talented batsman, has scored two centuries and a fifty this season.The changes in the Delhi squad reflect the team's struggles in the Ranji Trophy. Delhi is currently fourth in Group D, with just one win from four matches. The team's batting has been particularly disappointing, with only Dhull and Badoni showing any consistency.The selectors have made several changes to the squad in an attempt to address the team's weaknesses. Hrithik Shokeen, Shivank Vashisth, and Kshitiz Sharma have been dropped, while Simarjeet Singh, Mayank Gusain, and Shivam Sharma have been included.Simarjeet, a pacer, returns to the squad after missing the last three matches with injury. Gusain is a batting all-rounder who has been doing well in the U-23 set-up. Shivam is a left-arm spinner who has been in good form for Delhi's second XI.Delhi will be hoping that the changes in the squad will help them turn their season around. The team has a tough task ahead of them, but they will be confident of making a strong comeback under the leadership of Badoni.

Chandigarh's remarkable journey in the Ranji Trophy has reached new heights as they secured a resounding victory over Delhi, their third consecutive win in the tournament. This triumph has solidified their position atop the standings in Group D with 19 points from four matches, bringing them closer to a quarterfinal berth for the first time in their five-year existence.After resuming the fourth day on 46 for no loss, Chandigarh needed 157 runs to seal the victory. The host team displayed their dominance by chasing down the target at a run rate of 5.06 with nine wickets in hand. Shivam Bhambri emerged as the star with the bat, notching up a century in the final stages of the game with a six over mid-on off Hrithik Shokeen. Bhambri had also made a significant contribution of 80 runs in the first innings, earning him the Player of the Match Award.Manan Vohra's presence at the crease was equally significant. The 31-year-old captain has been at the helm of Chandigarh since its inaugural season in 2019-20. Vohra expressed his team's elation and the culmination of their hard work over the past five years. He acknowledged the challenges they faced in the past, including the threat of relegation to the Plate division. However, the recent victories have ignited a sense of confidence and determination within the team.The scores:Delhi — 1st innings: 276. Chandigarh — 1st innings: 324. Delhi — 2nd innings: 250. Chandigarh — 2nd innings: Arslan Khan c Shokeen b Mathur 68, Shivam Bhambri (not out) 100, Manan Vohra (not out) 24; Extras (b-8, lb-3, w-1): 12; Total (for one wkt. in 40.2 overs): 204. Fall of wicket: 1-130. Delhi bowling: Siddhant 5-1-17-0, Shokeen 7.2-0-50-0, Badoni 5-0-17-0, Mathur 9-2-34-1, Chauhan 4-0-14-0, Vashisth 9-1-48-0, Dhull 1-0-13-0. Player of the Match: Shivam Bhambri.

Riding on opener Shivam Bhambri's eye-catching knock of 80, Chandigarh managed to nudge ahead of Delhi on day two of a Group D Ranji Trophy contest. A number of handy contributions from the middle and lower order, too, made a difference as the host secured a 48-run first-innings lead on a pitch where the spinners were extracting appreciable assistance.Bhambri's 111-ball 80 proved crucial for Chandigarh. The right-hander, who has been in fine form this season, played a patient and composed innings, anchoring the team's batting effort. He found support from wicketkeeper Mayank Sidhu (44) and Aayush Sikka (24), who stitched together a 62-run partnership to deflate Delhi's hopes of grabbing first-innings honours.Delhi captain Himmat Singh relied heavily on spin given the conditions on offer, but pacers Himanshu Chauhan and Siddhant Sharma bowled only 19 of the 92 overs that they were on the field. Ayush Badoni, who is in the team more for his batting, was the most successful of the four tweakers Delhi had at its disposal, claiming four for 57 in 14 overs of off-spin. Left-arm spinner Sumit Mathur bowled well too, returning figures of 28-5-72-3.It was Mathur who made the first breakthrough of day two. Introduced in the 11th over of the day, the 26-year-old removed Manan Vohra immediately. The Chandigarh skipper had added 100 runs for the second wicket alongside Bhambri before being caught by Yash Dhull at cover off a ball that seemed to hold up on the surface.Three more wickets in the opening session, including that of Bhambri who miscued a slog sweep to long on, reduced Chandigarh to 182 for five at lunch, 94 runs adrift of the visitor's total with five wickets in hand. Instead of pressing the panic button, Sidhu and Sikka were judicious in their shot selection and stitched together a 62-run partnership. It went a long way towards deflating Delhi's hopes of grabbing first-innings honours.Badoni, nevertheless, stuck to his task and ended with a four-wicket haul for his second straight game. The scores:Delhi — 1st innings: 276.Chandigarh — 1st innings: Arslan Khan b Siddhant 0, Shivam Bhambri c Kshitiz b Shokeen 80, Manan Vohra c Dhull b Mathur 44, Ankit Kaushik c Himmat b Mathur 2, Rajangad Bawa b Badoni 33, Aayush Sikka lbw b Badoni 24, Mayank Sidhu c (sub) b Badoni 44, Gurinder Singh b Badoni 32, Jagjit Singh Sandhu c Vashisth b Siddhant 18, Nishunk Birla (not out) 21, Vishu Kashyap b Mathur 9; Extras (b-12, lb-3, w-2): 17; Total (in 92 overs): 324.Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-100, 3-104, 4-160, 5-164, 6-226, 7-273, 8-278, 9-302.Delhi bowling: Siddhant 12-3-37-2, Chauhan 7-0-32-0, Mathur 28-5-72-3, Shokeen 18-1-60-1, Vashisth 13-1-51-0, Badoni 14-2-57-4.Delhi — 2nd innings: Sanat Sangwan (batting) 19, Anuj Rawat (batting) 13; Total (for no loss in 10 overs): 32.Chandigarh bowling: Vishu 4-1-13-0, Birla 5-1-13-0, Gurinder 1-0-6-0.

Delhi's batting woes continue to haunt them as they prepare to face Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy clash starting Wednesday. Despite individual contributions in the first three matches of the season, the team has yet to witness a collective show of strength from its top six batters.In the opening encounter against Chhattisgarh, almost all of Delhi's specialist batters squandered promising starts. The notable exception was Jonty Sidhu, who combined effectively with the lower order to secure a first-innings lead and reach his third First Class century.The draw against Tamil Nadu saw Yash Dhull play a lone hand with an unbeaten century in the first innings, while Sanat Sangwan shouldered much of the responsibility in the second essay. Even in the victory over Assam, the turnaround was engineered by Harshit Rana, Sumit Mathur, and Siddhant Sharma, all bowling all-rounders who made handy contributions lower down the order against a tiring attack."We need bigger partnerships between the openers. In the middle order, hundreds are important," said Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh after the previous game.The return of Anuj Rawat and Ayush Badoni to the squad bolsters Delhi's batting options. All-rounder Hrithik Shokeen is also available, having been absent from the previous two matches due to commitments with India-A in the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman.The other notable change in the squad is the omission of Rana, who is set to fly out with the Indian team for the Test tour of Australia. The 22-year-old pacer had taken a fifer and scored a half-century for Delhi before joining up with the India squad as a reserve for the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.Since losing to Railways in the opening round, Chandigarh, led by Manan Vohra, has registered emphatic victories against Assam and Jharkhand.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has taken a dramatic turn, with the team on the cusp of its first outright victory of the season. After trailing Assam by 116 runs in the first innings, Delhi staged a remarkable comeback on Monday, leaving Assam reeling at 44 for three in the second innings.The turnaround was sparked by an unlikely pair in Sumit Mathur and Siddhant Sharma. Despite being primarily bowlers, they showcased their all-round abilities by stitching together a crucial 166-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Mathur, a left-arm spinner, notched his maiden First Class century in just his second appearance, while Sharma, a left-arm seamer, fell just short of the three-figure mark with 89.Their partnership helped Delhi reach a formidable total of 454, giving them a 124-run lead. The lower-order resurgence began with Harshit Rana's half-century in the morning session.Assam's second innings got off to a shaky start as they lost three wickets in quick succession. Subham Mandal was trapped lbw by Siddhant Sharma, while Rishav Das and Abhishek Thakuri fell to Harshit Rana and Money Grewal, respectively.Delhi's bowlers maintained the pressure, with Rana, Grewal, and Sharma sharing the wickets. Skipper Denish Das, who was struck on the abdomen by a delivery from Himanshu Chauhan, was forced to retire hurt and taken to a nearby hospital.With Assam needing 80 runs to avoid defeat and Delhi requiring seven wickets for victory, the match is poised for an exciting finish.

Delhi's Harshit Rana Shines with Bat and Ball, Earns Maiden India Call-UpDelhi all-rounder Harshit Rana celebrated his maiden India call-up for the upcoming tour of Australia with an impressive performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Assam.Rana, who was named in India's 18-member squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, showcased his versatility with a five-wicket haul followed by a half-century for Delhi.After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Delhi restricted Assam to 330, thanks in large part to Rana's bowling brilliance. The 22-year-old spinner claimed 5 for 80 in 19.3 overs, including the crucial wicket of wicketkeeper-batsman Sumit Ghadigaonkar, who scored a valiant 162.In reply, Delhi found themselves in a spot of bother at 182 for 6 on day three. However, Rana joined forces with Pranav Rajuvanshi to revive the innings. Rana played a pivotal role in Delhi's recovery, scoring a fluent half-century off just 66 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes.At the time of writing, Rana and Rajuvanshi had added 87 runs for the seventh wicket, taking Delhi to 269 for 6. Rana's performance has further cemented his place in the Indian squad for the tour of Australia, where he will be eager to make his Test debut.Rana's selection is a testament to his consistent performances in domestic cricket. He has been a key member of the Delhi team for several seasons, contributing with both bat and ball. His all-round abilities make him a valuable asset to any team.Rana's dream of playing Test cricket against England at Lord's may have to wait, but he is thrilled to have been selected for the tour of Australia. He believes that his competitive spirit and aggressive style of play will suit the Australian conditions.