Cricket

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.

S. Ajith Ram, the joint-second highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy last year with 41 scalps, proved his worth once again by claiming four wickets on a placid surface against Chhattisgarh. Describing it as one of the most challenging conditions he had bowled on, the left-arm spinner said, "It was hot out there, and the pitch was very flat. It was tough when the batters had the upper hand, but it was a good experience."Ajith Ram explained his approach, emphasizing the importance of length and varying speeds and lines. "Length is mandatory, but I kept varying my speeds and adjusting my lines at times. It was a test of temperament. On these pitches, you need to be patient, and if you keep bowling at a particular spot, you can get rewards."Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh skipper Amandeep Khare expressed satisfaction with his batters' efforts and confidence in his bowlers' ability to secure at least three points. "We are quite happy with the effort the boys are putting in and the score we have got. We believe 500 is enough and are confident of restricting them," said Khare."Psychologically, if you score 500, it will also impact the other team. The surface helped the batters until tea, but in the final session, it started spinning more. We are playing three spinners and are hopeful our bowlers can get the wickets," he added.

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."

Chhattisgarh, known for its gritty and determined approach, has taken a commanding lead in their third-round Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu. On the second day of the contest at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground, Chhattisgarh posted a formidable total of 500 in their first innings, putting themselves in a strong position to secure a victory.The Chhattisgarh innings was anchored by a solid opening partnership between Ayush Pandey (124) and Rishabh Tiwari (46). However, it was the middle-order batters who truly shone, with Anuj Tiwari (84), Sanjeet Desai (82), and K.D. Eknath (52) all contributing substantial scores. Ajay Mandal's aggressive 64, which included two sixes, further boosted the team's total.Tamil Nadu's bowlers struggled to contain Chhattisgarh's relentless batting onslaught. Ajith Ram, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four wickets for 132 runs. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent Chhattisgarh from amassing a massive score.In reply, Tamil Nadu ended the day at 23 for one, with opener S. Lokeshwar falling cheaply to off-spinner Jeevesh Butte. The home team faces an uphill task in the remaining two days of the match, needing to score heavily and avoid a defeat.The pitch at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground has remained good for batting, but there were signs of the odd ball turning sharply in the final hour of play. This could provide some hope for Tamil Nadu's spinners as they look to restrict Chhattisgarh's lead.

Delhi's batting woes continued on day two of their Ranji Trophy clash against Assam at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Despite several players getting starts, the home side found themselves trailing by 116 runs with four wickets remaining in their first innings.Skipper Himmat Singh top-scored with 55, while Yash Dhull and Sanat Sangwan contributed 47 each. However, none of them could convert their starts into substantial scores, unlike Sumit Ghadigaonkar, who had scored 162 for Assam.Delhi's innings began disastrously with Gagan Vats dismissed for a duck off the very first ball. Dhull and Sangwan steadied the ship with a 66-run partnership for the second wicket, but Dhull's dismissal just after lunch proved costly.Himmat and Sangwan looked assured at the crease, but their efforts were not enough to lift Delhi out of trouble. The frustration was evident as the home side failed to capitalize on their opportunities.Earlier in the day, Delhi's bowlers had done their job by taking the remaining four Assam wickets fairly quickly. Himmat's catch to dismiss Mukhtar Hussain was a highlight, as he ran back a few meters while following the trajectory of the ball and completed an excellent catch.Harshit Rana claimed his five-for with a full ball to Mrinmoy Dutta that clattered the stumps, wrapping up Assam's innings at 330.Delhi now faces an uphill battle to even claim first-innings honors when play resumes on Monday. Their batting has been underwhelming throughout the season, and they will need to find a way to turn things around if they want to avoid defeat.

Pace bowler Harshit Rana, who has been serving as a traveling reserve with the Indian Test team during their ongoing series against New Zealand, is set to be released to play for Delhi in the upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Assam. The decision comes after Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) requested Rana's services due to the unavailability of Navdeep Saini, who has been named in India A's squad touring Australia.Rana, who has not featured in the second Test against New Zealand, will be allowed to represent Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, as per reports from Times of India. The match between Delhi and Assam is scheduled to commence on Saturday, October 26, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.Rana's release from the Indian setup follows a similar move for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was allowed to play for Andhra against Gujarat. Rana has played nine first-class matches to date, claiming 36 wickets and even scoring a century with the bat.Rana's inclusion in the Indian setup has been a regular occurrence since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, having previously mentored him at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during IPL 2024. However, Rana is yet to make his debut in any format for India.With Rana's release confirming that he will not make his India debut before October 31, it provides Kolkata Knight Riders with the opportunity to retain him as an uncapped player ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Uncapped players can be retained for as low as Rs 4 crore.Rana played a pivotal role in KKR's third IPL title triumph in 2024, claiming 19 wickets and finishing among the top five wicket-takers.

Harshit Rana, the 22-year-old pacer, made a strong return to competitive cricket on Saturday, taking four wickets in Delhi's Ranji Trophy opener against Assam. Rana, who had not played a competitive game for over a month, showed no signs of rust as he struck twice in his opening spell and picked up two more wickets throughout the day.Assam began their innings cautiously, but Rana's early burst put them on the back foot. He dismissed Subham Mandal, Abhishek Thakuri, and Rishav Das in quick succession, leaving Assam reeling at 59 for four. However, wicketkeeper-batsman Sumit Ghadigaonkar played a defiant knock, scoring an unbeaten 120 to help Assam recover.Ghadigaonkar and Sibsankar Roy put on a 164-run partnership for the fifth wicket, frustrating the Delhi bowlers. Ghadigaonkar reached his century with a boundary off Rana, who had earlier dismissed him twice in the innings.Despite Rana's efforts, Assam managed to reach 264 for six at stumps, thanks largely to Ghadigaonkar's heroics. The 32-year-old Mumbai-born batsman showed his class with a well-paced innings that included six fours and two sixes.Rana's performance was a timely reminder of his quality ahead of India's upcoming Test series against Australia. The pacer was named in India's Test squad on Friday night and will be looking to make an impact in the five-match series.

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.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock after a disappointing draw against Tamil Nadu in the second round. Despite Yash Dhull's unbeaten century in the first innings and Sanat Sangwan's valiant 83 in the second, Delhi's batters struggled to make a mark.The home side will need to raise their game significantly when they face Assam at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from Saturday. Assam, too, has managed only one point from its first two rounds against Jharkhand and Chandigarh, making this a crucial opportunity for Delhi to secure full points and improve its standing in Group D.Delhi currently has four points, having taken the first-innings lead in the draw against Chhattisgarh before narrowly avoiding defeat against Tamil Nadu. Navdeep Saini is unavailable for this fixture due to his inclusion in the India-A squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.In Saini's absence, Delhi will welcome the return of pacer Harshit Rana, who was traveling as a reserve with the Indian team in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand before being released for this Ranji game. Rana has yet to play for Delhi this season.For Assam, Riyan Parag remains unavailable. The hard-hitting middle-order batter is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, with his next assignment likely to be India's four-match T20I series against South Africa starting on November 8."We are not looking at it as a setback," said Assam captain Denish Das of Parag's absence. "It is a chance for someone else to grab his opportunity. Yes, there will obviously be a gap because he is Assam's best player, but there is an opportunity for a different player."