Cricket

Anshul Kamboj, the Haryana fast bowler, unleashed a devastating spell on Thursday, claiming all eight wickets to fall in his side's Ranji Trophy match against Kerala at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium.Kamboj, known for his restless energy on the field, channeled his intensity into his bowling, hustling the Kerala batters with his pace and accuracy. The 23-year-old started the day with three wickets and added five more, leaving the Kerala batting order in tatters."Yesterday we bowled a little too outside the off stump. We could have had more wickets, considering the way the ball was moving. So, today I bowled a little straighter so that the batter plays every ball," said Kamboj after the day's play.With Kerala down to its last two wickets, Kamboj now has a glorious chance to enter the history books. Only two players have ever achieved the feat of taking all 10 wickets in a Ranji Trophy innings – Bengal's Premangsu Chatterjee in 1957 and Rajasthan's Pradeep Sunderam in 1985.Kamboj is candid enough to admit that the possibility of a ten-wicket-haul entices him. "Since such a situation [ten wickets] doesn't come very often, I will try to get two more wickets. But if the team is getting the wickets, I am equally happy," said Kamboj with a nervous smile.Kamboj's performance has not only put Haryana in a commanding position in the match but has also brought him into the limelight. The young fast bowler has been making waves in domestic cricket with his impressive pace and wicket-taking ability.If Kamboj can complete the ten-wicket-haul, he will not only etch his name in the history books but also boost his chances of a call-up to the Indian national team. The Indian team is currently in search of a young and talented fast bowler who can provide them with the cutting edge in international cricket.

After a thick blanket of smog shrouded the morning session, Haryana and Kerala engaged in a spirited day of cricket in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium.Haryana captain Ankit Kumar's decision to bowl first proved fruitful as pacer Anshul Kamboj dismissed B. Aparajith in the opening over. Kamboj and new-ball partner Aman Kumar maintained a tight line and length, forcing Kerala openers Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran to prioritize survival.The Kerala pair relied on sharp running between the wickets to counter the new-ball challenge, scoring only eight fours in their 91-run partnership. Kunnummal, the more assertive of the two, committed fully to the forward press, allowing him to drive when Haryana bowlers pitched it up. Chandran, on the other hand, stifled the opposition with assured defending.As the sun pierced through the dissipating smog, Haryana's desperation for a breakthrough grew. Jayant Yadav's introduction midway through the second session disrupted Kerala's rhythm. The off-spinner's clever variations in pace and release angle nearly got the better of both batters.However, Kunnummal and Chandran persisted with their methods, with the former reaching his fifty. Kunnummal's dismissal soon after tea, caught by Ankit at second slip off Kamboj, provided Haryana with a much-needed breakthrough.Kerala skipper Sachin Baby and Chandran saw off the rest of the day, with deteriorating light forcing an early stumps call. At the end of the opening day, Kerala had reached 138 for two, thanks to resolute fifties from Kunnummal and Chandran.

Heavy rain has hindered Kerala's pursuit of an outright victory and boosted Uttar Pradesh's chances of salvaging a draw in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter at the KCA-St. Xavier's College ground.After conceding a massive 233-run first innings lead, Uttar Pradesh was 66 for two when a drizzle forced the players off the field half an hour into the post-lunch session. The drizzle intensified into a heavy downpour with thunder and lightning, leading the umpires to call off play at 2.30 p.m.UP lost its captain, Aryan Juyal, and Priyam Garg in the second innings, and was in a spot of bother before the skies opened up.Earlier, Mohammed Azharuddeen attacked the Uttar Pradesh bowling, striking four crisp boundaries as Kerala sought quick runs. Salman Nizar (93, 202b, 9x4, 3x6) struggled with his timing and was also affected by a hamstring injury, forcing him to leave the field for treatment. Basil Thampi's stay was brief, lasting only two deliveries before Saurabh Kumar trapped him in front.Aaqib Khan's delivery struck K.M. Asif on the helmet, forcing him to retire hurt. Salman returned to continue his innings. He nudged Saurabh Kumar to fine leg and ran three, which aggravated his injury.Azharuddeen, who had been batting fluently up to that point, lost his composure and top-edged a hook off Aaqib, which was well caught by Aryan behind the stumps.Salman smashed Saurabh for a maximum over long leg but was dismissed while attempting to play another big shot off Aaqib Khan in the following over.

Kerala's gritty lower-order batting, led by captain Sachin Baby and Salman Nizar, put them in a commanding position against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the KCA-St. Xavier's College ground.After resuming on 105 for four, Kerala lost Baba Aparajith and Aditya Sarwate cheaply to Uttar Pradesh's left-arm spinner Shivam Sharma. However, Baby and Akshay Chandran steadied the innings with a 63-run stand for the fifth wicket.When Chandran fell, Baby found an ideal ally in Nizar, who curbed his natural flamboyance to play a patient innings. The duo navigated the challenging track, using the depth of the crease and stepping out to loft the ball over the infield.Baby and Nizar's 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket put Kerala in control. Baby eventually fell for 83, trapped in front by Shivam Mavi, but Jalaj Saxena continued the resistance with a fluent 35.Nizar remained unbeaten on 74, hitting sixes and fours off leg spinner Piyush Chawla to signal Kerala's intent for the third day. Mohammed Azharuddeen also contributed with an unbeaten 11, ensuring Kerala reached 340 for seven at stumps.Uttar Pradesh's bowlers toiled hard, with Shivam Sharma taking two wickets and Saurabh Kumar, Aaqib Khan, and Chawla claiming one each. However, Kerala's lower-order resilience proved too much to overcome.

The Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter between Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to commence on Wednesday at the St. Xavier's College ground, faces the threat of rain. Heavy downpours have already forced the cancellation of the visitor's nets session on Monday. While both teams managed to squeeze in some practice on Tuesday morning, the evening's heavy rainfall has cast a shadow of doubt over the match's timely start.Rain has been a persistent obstacle in Kerala's recent matches. Nearly five sessions of play were washed out in their encounter with Punjab at the same venue three weeks ago. Despite their comprehensive victory over Punjab, rain affected Kerala's away matches against Karnataka and Bengal, resulting in draws.Kerala's captain, Sachin Baby, has indicated that the team will rely on its strength at home, particularly its spin troika of Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, and B. Aparajith. The lower-order fightback led by Saxena and Salman Nizar in the drawn encounter against Bengal has been a positive sign for Kerala. With Mohammed Azharuddeen finding form, the team will hope for contributions from its other top-order batters against Uttar Pradesh.Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, showed signs of hitting their stride against Punjab. Nitish Rana and Madhav Kaushik scored runs, while key bowlers like Shivam Mavi had a good outing with the ball. However, the visitor will miss Rinku Singh, who is away on India duty. Despite this absence, Uttar Pradesh has enough depth in its batting to overcome Rinku's loss.Captain Aryan Juyal may consider playing veteran leg spinner Piyush Chawla given the venue's propensity to favor tweakers. Saurabh Kumar and Shivam Sharma are the two spin-bowling all-rounders in the side, and Kerala will have its task cut out against one of the better-balanced teams in the group.

Bengal's seamer Ishan Porel made a triumphant return to competitive cricket, scalping three wickets on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Group-C match against Kerala at the Jadavpur University ground.After a frustrating day of no play due to a damp outfield, the match finally commenced at 3:30 p.m. Bengal captain Anustup Majumdar wasted no time in putting Kerala in to bat, hoping to exploit the bowler-friendly conditions.Porel, playing his first match in nearly nine months after recovering from fitness issues, justified his captain's faith. In his fifth over, he trapped Rohan Kunnummal (23) in front and had B. Aparajith caught behind in consecutive deliveries.Left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik then accounted for Aditya Sarvate in the next over, leaving Kerala reeling at 38 for four. Captain Sachin Baby (4) and Akshay Chandran (9) were at the crease when bad light stopped play after about one hour and 20 minutes of play.Bengal coach L.R. Shukla expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, saying, "Ishan had put up a lot of hard work before this match. He bowled well. We had a target of taking three wickets today. Our bowlers showed a positive mindset, it's good to take four. There will be some assistance for the bowlers in the morning. Hopefully, we can do well."

Incessant rainfall brought on by Cyclone Dana has cast a shadow over the Ranji Trophy Group-C match between Bengal and Kerala, scheduled to commence at the Jadavpur University ground in Kolkata on Saturday. Both teams had settled for a point apiece in their respective matches in the previous round. While Bengal's encounter against Bihar was washed out due to a wet outfield at Kalyani, Kerala's first innings could not be completed in its rain-affected match against Karnataka at Alur.The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which shifted the Kerala fixture out of Kalyani, had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to postpone the duel due to the cyclone threat, but their plea was denied.Bengal, which has four points, finds itself in a quandary as four of its prominent players - Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Abishek Porel - will be unavailable due to national duty. Seamer Ishan Porel and wicketkeeper-batter Shakir Habib Gandhi have been picked as replacements and should be hopeful of making it to the playing XI.The Bengal batting will rely on Sudip Chatterjee, Sudip Gharami, captain Anustup Majumdar, and Wriddhiman Saha. Suraj Jaiswal and Mohammed Kaif will spearhead the bowling attack, while all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed will provide much-needed balance.Even without Sanju Samson, Kerala, which practiced indoors on Friday, will rely on its top batters Rohan Kunnumal, Sachin Baby, Baba Aparajith, Mohammed Azharuddeen, and Jalaj Saxena. Basil Thampi and spinners Aditya Sarwate and Saxena will shoulder the responsibility in the bowling department for the touring team, which has collected seven points."It's an unfortunate situation to have rains around this time. Without Bengal's stalwarts, we should be able to break through," said Kerala coach Amay Khurasiya.

Karnataka and Kerala were forced to share a point each after their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C encounter at the Alur Grounds ended in a frustrating draw due to persistent rain. The match was marred by inclement weather, with only two sessions of play possible out of a total of 12.On the opening day, Kerala managed to reach 161 for three in the final session. However, the second day's play was completely washed out, leaving both teams with a solitary point. The result was particularly disappointing for Karnataka, who had also been forced to settle for a draw in their rain-affected opening tie against Madhya Pradesh.Kerala, on the other hand, had secured a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Punjab in their first game, giving them a total of six points. Karnataka, with just one point from two matches, will now travel to Patna to face Bihar from October 26. Kerala, meanwhile, will clash with Bengal in Kolkata.The draw has left both teams in a precarious position in the standings. Karnataka, the eight-time Ranji Trophy champions, will need to secure victories in their remaining matches to stay in contention for a place in the knockout stages. Kerala, too, will need to perform consistently to maintain their position in the top half of the table.The weather conditions have played a significant role in the early stages of the Ranji Trophy, with several matches being affected by rain. The BCCI will be hoping for better weather in the coming weeks to ensure that the tournament can be completed as scheduled.

Rain Interrupts Karnataka's Ranji Trophy Campaign, Frustrating Players and FansKarnataka's Ranji Trophy Elite Group C campaign has been hampered by inclement weather, with the team's match against Kerala at the Alur Grounds delayed by six hours on Friday due to wet spots on the field. This follows a similar experience in their opening match against Madhya Pradesh, where they were forced to settle for a solitary point.The persistent rain and drizzle have left the Alur field in a precarious state, with the wet patches refusing to dry out even under the blazing sun. The umpires were unmoved by two close shouts for leg-before against Kerala opener Rohan Kunnummal, adding to the frustration of the Karnataka players.Kunnummal, who was batting positively, made the most of the conditions, driving superbly in the 'V' and breaching the fence multiple times. His standout shot was a hoick over long-off against left-arm spinner Hardik Raj. Vathsal Govind, in contrast, played a more sedate innings, eschewing expansive stroke-play and focusing on clipping off his pads and steering behind square.At stumps, Kerala had reached 88 for no loss, with Kunnummal batting on 57 and Govind on 31. The match was called off owing to bad light with seven overs remaining.The weather delays have put Karnataka in a difficult position. If Saturday's play is also affected, they could end up with another frustrating draw, which would jeopardize their chances of progressing in the tournament.