Cricket

Kerala's seasoned all-rounder, Jalaj Saxena, has etched his name in the annals of Indian domestic cricket by becoming the first player to amass 6000 runs and claim 400 wickets in the prestigious Ranji Trophy. This remarkable feat was achieved during the Elite Group C fourth round match against Uttar Pradesh at St Xavier's College Ground.Saxena, who had crossed the 6000-run milestone in Kerala's previous match in Kolkata, reached the double landmark after dismissing left-hander Nitish Rana with a sharp off-spin delivery that resulted in a stumping. The 37-year-old became the 13th bowler in Ranji Trophy history to reach the 400-wicket mark, a testament to his exceptional bowling prowess.Saxena's journey in First-Class cricket began in 2005 with Madhya Pradesh, where he spent 11 years, claiming 159 wickets and scoring 4041 runs. In the 2016-17 season, he moved to Kerala and has since become the second-highest wicket-taker in First-Class cricket for the team, behind only KN Ananthapadmanabhan.Last season, Saxena joined the ranks of legends when he became only the fourth player in Indian domestic cricket history to achieve 9000 runs and 600 wickets across all formats, joining the exclusive company of Vinoo Mankad, Madan Lal, and Parvez Rasool.In the Ranji Trophy alone, Saxena's record is unparalleled among active all-rounders and stands in a league with Indian greats like Vijay Hazare, Madan Lal, and Sunil Joshi. His all-round abilities have been instrumental in Kerala's success in recent seasons, and he continues to be a vital cog in the team's quest for silverware.

Karnataka's Ranji Trophy campaign faces a setback as ace pacer V. Vyshak is ruled out of the upcoming match against Bengal due to his involvement with the India T20I side. This leaves the team with a relatively inexperienced fast bowling unit, as Prasidh Krishna is also unavailable.Vyshak's absence will be a significant blow to Karnataka's bowling attack. The 25-year-old has been a key performer for the team in recent seasons, taking 35 wickets in 10 matches. His pace and swing have been instrumental in Karnataka's success.In Vyshak's absence, V. Koushik will lead the bowling attack. The 23-year-old has 19 First Class appearances to his name and will be looking to make a mark in this crucial match. Vidyadhar Patil and Abhilash Shetty are likely to partner Koushik.Shreyas Gopal, who took an eight-wicket match-haul in the previous game against Bihar, will handle the bulk of the spin duties. The 29-year-old is a seasoned campaigner and will be expected to provide control and wickets.Bengal, too, will have to deal with a list of absentees. Veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami is not yet fit, while opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel, and pacer Mukesh Kumar are with the India-A squad.Wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, set to retire at the end of this domestic season, will be keen to make a mark. The 38-year-old has been a stalwart of Indian cricket and will be looking to end his career on a high.Bengal missed out on valuable points when its match against Bihar was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The visitor will look to compensate, but this will not be easy against an even foe in Karnataka.

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.

Tamil Nadu, a formidable force in domestic cricket, will seek redemption when they face Assam in a crucial Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'D' match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The visitors, who suffered a setback in their previous fixture, will be bolstered by the return of their regular captain, R. Sai Kishore.Tamil Nadu's batting lineup has been in fine form, with all-rounder Vijay Shankar making a match-saving century in their last outing. Despite the absence of B. Sai Sudharsan and B. Indrajith, who are representing India-A in Australia, the team possesses ample firepower to dominate Assam. Opener N. Jagadeesan, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, and newcomer C. Andre Siddarth have all been among the runs.However, the bowlers will be eager to make amends after a disappointing performance in their third-round match, where they conceded the first-innings lead. Sai Kishore's presence adds teeth to the attack, and it remains to be seen if the side opts for a spin-heavy approach. Strapping left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh, who was rested for the previous game, will be raring to go against an Assam batting unit that has struggled for consistency.Sumit Ghadigaonkar has been the lone bright spot for the home team, amassing 352 runs so far. He will need to continue his good form if Assam hopes to provide meaningful competition.Tamil Nadu, currently third in the group with 11 points, will be gunning for a win as the race for knockout berths intensifies. A victory would strengthen their position and boost their chances of advancing to the next stage.

Agni Chopra, the son of renowned Bollywood filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, has emerged as a rising star in the Indian cricket scene. With an exceptional First-Class average of 99.06, Agni has garnered immense attention and admiration.Since his debut for Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy Plate league earlier this year, Agni has amassed 1585 runs in just nine games, including eight fifties and four centuries. His remarkable consistency has propelled him to the forefront of Indian cricket.Agni attributes his success to an unwavering hunger and a relentless focus on avoiding dismissals. He has also dedicated himself to improving his fitness, which has enabled him to sustain his impressive run-scoring form.Despite his dominance in the Plate League, Agni harbors aspirations of playing in the Elite League with Mizoram. He believes that this would provide him with the opportunity to face top-level bowlers and further enhance his skills.Agni's ultimate goal is to represent India at the international level. He recognizes that this requires consistent performances and a willingness to play in the Elite division of the Ranji Trophy.As the son of famous parents, Agni has faced scrutiny and comparisons. However, he remains unfazed and relies on a close circle of trusted individuals for guidance and support.Agni's impressive performances have not gone unnoticed. He was disappointed to miss out on the IPL auction last year, but he remains hopeful of securing a contract in the upcoming mega auction.Agni's journey is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and unwavering belief in his abilities. As he continues to pile up runs and chase his dreams, Agni Chopra is poised to become a force to be reckoned with in Indian cricket.

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.

In the era of modern cricket, workload management has become a crucial aspect of player longevity and performance. However, the recent decision by senior Indian players to skip the Duleep Trophy has raised questions about the balance between international commitments and domestic responsibilities.In 2007, despite a grueling Test tour of South Africa and an upcoming World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, and Sourav Ganguly prioritized the Ranji Trophy final for Mumbai. Within 48 hours, they were back in action for an ODI series against Sri Lanka.In contrast, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja opted out of the Duleep Trophy despite a significant break after the T20 World Cup. This decision has sparked debate about the importance of domestic cricket for elite players.Former India opener Devang Gandhi believes that playing domestic cricket is essential for batters to regain form. He cites Tendulkar's double century in the Ranji Trophy semi-final and century in the final in 2000, just days after playing ODIs.Kohli and Rohit have played significantly fewer first-class matches than Tendulkar, with 32 and 61 games respectively. While workload management is crucial, Gandhi argues that one Duleep Trophy game could have been beneficial.Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad acknowledges the increased volume of cricket but suggests making the Irani Cup mandatory for star players. He also advocates for a structured rotation policy to manage workloads.Another former selector, Jatin Paranjpe, emphasizes the need for clear expectations from stakeholders to avoid awkward situations. He suggests making it mandatory for Indian team members to play at least one or two domestic games before major Test series.The BCCI has emphasized the importance of big players participating in domestic engagements but allowed them to skip the Duleep Trophy. Prasad believes that scheduling home Test series in a way that allows for Ranji Trophy rounds to precede them could be a solution.

Mohammed Shami's return to competitive cricket has been further delayed as he was not included in the Bengal squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Bengal will face Karnataka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium from Wednesday, followed by a clash with Madhya Pradesh in Indore from November 13.Shami was expected to feature in the Karnataka fixture to assess his fitness in a match situation. He had bowled at full tilt in the nets after India's recent Test against New Zealand, albeit with a bandage on his operated leg. India's bowling coach Morne Morkel also monitored his progress.Shami expressed confidence in his recovery, stating that he felt "100%" in the nets. "I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can't put too much stress on my body. So, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%," he said.However, India skipper Rohit Sharma cautioned against rushing Shami back into action. "We don't want to bring undercooked Shami to Australia. We are keeping our fingers crossed," Rohit said.In addition to Shami, Bengal will also be without Abhimanyu Easwaran, Abhishek Porel, and Mukesh Kumar, who are currently with the India A squad in Australia. Akash Deep, who was part of the Indian team for the New Zealand series, was also omitted from the state squad.Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has announced his retirement from cricket after the ongoing domestic season, has been named in the squad for the two matches.

Mohammed Shami's much-anticipated return to competitive cricket has been further delayed, as the Bengal pacer's name was conspicuously absent from the squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.The 34-year-old has been sidelined since the 2023 ODI World Cup due to an Achilles heel injury that required surgery in February. Despite months of rehabilitation, Shami's fitness remains a concern, prompting the BCCI to recommend that he play for Bengal first to assess his condition.Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla had expressed optimism about Shami's availability for the away matches, but the pacer's absence has raised doubts about his readiness for international duty.Shami himself had indicated a desire to play domestic matches before joining the Indian team for the Australia tour. "It's better that I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia," he had said. "I don't know when I can play next, but the day I feel comfortable bowling 20-30 overs and get the nod from the doctors, I'll make a run to play a match."However, it appears that Shami has not yet reached the desired level of fitness. The pacer's absence from the Bengal squad suggests that he may not be ready for the rigors of international cricket just yet.The delay in Shami's return is a setback for both the player and the Indian team. Shami is a key member of the Indian pace attack, and his experience and skill would be invaluable in the upcoming Test series against Australia.The BCCI will continue to monitor Shami's progress and make a decision on his availability for the Australia tour at a later date. In the meantime, the pacer will focus on regaining full fitness and proving his readiness for international duty.