It is round two of the Ranji Trophy and the teams that were lagging behind are turning around their situation. Take for instance, the team from Kerala. In round one, they went up against Delhi, but the match was a draw. Delhi garnered one point, Kerala managed to get three points, but no where close to seven – only five teams received seven points. In round two, it is Kerala versus Bengal. Kerala’s Sanju Samson is pushing the team to secure an excellent score in the first innings. He has scored a century brilliantly with 14 fours and a six. It is his 10th first-class century.
Even Vidarbha had the same fate as the previous teams. In round one, Vidarbha was up against Andhra, but the match was a draw. On the charts, Vidarbha secured three points and Andhra managed to get one point. In round two, it is Vidarbha versus Rajasthan. This time around Vidarbha has stepped up and crossed 200 runs in the first innings. Their star player has been Faiz Fazal who has scored a century along with a partnership with Ganesh Satish. However, Fazal was knocked out at 136 by T. M. Haq. Their opponent, Rajasthan, is yet to get points on the chart. Will round two prove to kickstart their score?
Punjab seems to be ruling the roost with the help of its skilled bowlers. In round one, Punjab was one of the top teams that secured seven points. In round two, they seem to be going strong. In this round, they are up against Hyderabad. This city-based team managed to score 242, but five wickets were taken out for a measly 30 runs. Punjab’s stellar bowlers Gurkeerat Mann and Mayank Markande took seven wickets between them. The state has an edgy over the southern city, but there is the second innings too. Hyderabad is yet to break open the points, can they manage to scale up the chart before it is too late?
In regard to the tension in the north-eastern states two matches are moved to safer ground. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) has moved two matches:
- Jharkhand versus Assam is played at Ranchi.
- Arunachal versus Mizoram is played at Puducherry.
These are some of the highlights from round two, first innings. It has set the pace for what is to take shape in the coming months. Enjoy this Ranji Trophy season on this platform. Form your fantasy teams and take home amazing prizes.