Cricket

Harshit Rana Released from Test Set-up, to Join Delhi for Ranji TrophyIndia seamer Harshit Rana has been released from the Test squad and will return to his domestic team, Delhi, for their upcoming Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam. The decision was made at the request of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), which is without the services of Navdeep Saini, who has been named in the India A squad for the tour of Australia.Rana, 22, has been serving as a traveling reserve for the Indian Test team during their recent series against New Zealand. While he did not feature in any of the matches, his time with the national side has provided him with valuable experience. He will now get some much-needed game time under his belt as Delhi looks to improve their position in the Ranji Trophy standings.Rana's release from the Test set-up is part of a larger trend of players being released to their domestic teams for competitive match practice. Nitish Kumar Reddy, another traveling reserve, has already been released and has played for Andhra in their last fixture. Mayank Yadav is also expected to be released soon and has been told to prepare for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.Delhi will be relying heavily on Rana to lead their attack in their crucial home game against Assam. The team has accumulated just four points from their first two games and needs to improve their performance to qualify for the knockout stages. Rana's experience and skill will be vital in helping Delhi achieve their goals.In addition to Rana's return, Delhi has also made other changes to their squad. Opener Dhruv Kaushik has been ruled out for the next 2-3 games due to a hand injury, while Divij Mehra and Money Grewal have been added to the pace department.

Sanat Sangwan's defiant 83 and Navdeep Saini's strategic time-wasting tactics helped Delhi escape with a draw in their second-round Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.Delhi, asked to follow on after conceding a 408-run first-innings lead, faced a daunting task of seeing out 85 overs to avoid an innings defeat. The visitors, led by N. Jagadeesan, were determined to force a result, but Delhi's resilience proved too strong.Sangwan played a pivotal role in Delhi's resistance, consuming 231 deliveries and frustrating the Tamil Nadu bowlers. His innings, which included 10 fours and a six, kept the visitors at bay for over six hours.As the shadows lengthened, Delhi's hopes of a draw rested on the shoulders of Saini and Himanshu Chauhan. With two wickets in hand and just two overs remaining, Tamil Nadu sensed an opportunity. However, Saini's clever time-wasting tactics, including a comical display of injury after being hit on the head, allowed Delhi to survive the final onslaught.Tamil Nadu's bowlers, led by Washington Sundar and S. Ajith Ram, had earlier put in a dominant performance, restricting Delhi to 266 in their first innings. Gurjapneet Singh and Sonu Yadav also chipped in with two wickets each.In their second innings, Delhi lost early wickets but Sangwan's marathon knock steadied the ship. Himmat Singh (36) and Jonty Sidhu (23) provided valuable support, but it was Saini's unbeaten 15 that ultimately sealed the draw.Tamil Nadu, despite their first-innings advantage, were left to rue their missed opportunities. Their decision to bat for a mammoth total in the first innings may have backfired, as it gave Delhi ample time to recover in the second innings.

Shubman Gill's Duleep Trophy Woes Continue as Navdeep Saini StrikesIndia's highly-rated opener Shubman Gill endured another disappointing outing in the Duleep Trophy, failing to make a significant contribution for the second consecutive innings. Playing for India A against India B, Gill's hopes of a strong opening partnership with Mayank Agarwal were dashed by the brilliance of Navdeep Saini.Saini, who has been in impressive form throughout the match, delivered a widish delivery that Gill deemed safe to leave alone. However, the ball had other ideas, crashing into Gill's stumps and leaving him stunned. The dismissal highlighted Gill's struggles in the tournament, as he has failed to convert his starts into substantial scores.Saini's impact on the match extended beyond his bowling performance. He also contributed a valuable 56 runs off 144 balls, forging an important partnership with Musheer Khan to help India B post a respectable total of 321 runs.India B's batting had initially struggled, losing seven wickets for just 94 runs. However, Musheer and Saini steadied the ship, adding an unbeaten 108 runs to guide their team to a competitive position. Musheer played a patient knock of 105 runs off 227 balls, while Saini chipped in with an unbeaten 29 off 74 deliveries.For India A, Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, and Avesh Khan each claimed two wickets, while one wicket came via a runout.Gill's dismissal will be a concern for the Indian team management, as he is seen as a key player in the future. The young opener has shown glimpses of his talent, but he needs to find consistency and convert his starts into big scores.

Fast Bowlers Siraj, Malik Ruled Out of Duleep Trophy OpenerFast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik have been ruled out of the first round of the Duleep Trophy due to illness. Navdeep Saini will replace Siraj in the India B squad, while Gaurav Yadav will take Malik's place in the India C squad.All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has also been released from the India B squad, but no replacement has been named. Nitish Kumar Reddy's participation remains subject to fitness as he recovers from sports hernia surgery.The first round of the Duleep Trophy will be played simultaneously in Anantapur and Bengaluru from September 5. The tournament, which was originally a zonal competition featuring six teams, will have only four teams this year.The second round of the Duleep Trophy will clash with the home Tests against Bangladesh starting September 19. As a result, players selected for the Test series will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy.Revised Duleep Trophy Squads:India A: Shubman Gill (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, Shaswat RawatIndia B: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, N Jagadeesan (wk)India C: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Gaurav Yadav, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (wk), Sandeep WarrierIndia D: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Atharva Taide, Yash Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ricky Bhui, Saransh Jain, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Aditya Thakare, Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Sengupta, KS Bharat (wk), Saurabh Kumar