Several teams stamped their authority on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy action, with Saurashtra dismantling Punjab on a spin-friendly surface and Sarfaraz Khan producing a breathtaking double hundred to drive Mumbai into a dominant position.
Batters Take Centre Stage
Yash Rathod led a strong Vidarbha recovery after early trouble against Andhra. Walking in at 45/4, Rathod compiled a composed 115, with valuable support from Darshan Nalkande (36) and Nachiket Bhute, lifting Vidarbha to 295 and securing a 75-run first-innings lead.
In Hyderabad, Sarfaraz Khan stole the spotlight with a stunning 227 for Mumbai, striking 19 fours and nine sixes in a knock that came at better than a run a ball. Centuries from Siddhesh Lad and a fluent 75 by Suved Parkar added to Hyderabad’s misery as Mumbai piled on 560. Hyderabad lost both openers early but found some resistance through Gahlaut Singh and Kodimela Himateja.
Centuries from Manan Vohra and Arjun Azad put Chandigarh firmly on top against Kerala. After claiming a hefty 277-run first-innings lead, Chandigarh reduced Kerala to 21/2, leaving the hosts needing 257 more just to avoid an innings defeat.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s brisk 66 off 111 balls, combined with an unbeaten 95 from Saurabh Nawal, helped Maharashtra stretch their lead to 97 runs against Goa, with two wickets still in hand.
Ayush Pandey and Agrim Tiwary both reached three figures as Chhattisgarh surged to 351/2, extending their advantage to 135 runs over Delhi after bowling them out for 216.
Jharkhand declared on a towering 561/6, built around centuries from Sharandeep Singh (139) and Kumar Kushagra (102), alongside four half-centuries. Uttar Pradesh responded poorly, slumping to 32/3 and facing a daunting deficit.
Bowlers Make Decisive Impact
A superb spell from Sonu Yadav (5 for 30) put Tamil Nadu in control against Odisha. With support from Trilok Nag and P Vidyuth, Odisha were bundled out for 148. Tamil Nadu finished the day at 26/1 in their second innings, effectively 164 runs ahead.
Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami shared five wickets as Bengal pushed Services toward a follow-on in Kalyani. Services ended the day at 126/8, still 393 runs adrift of Bengal’s first-innings total powered by Sudip Chatterjee.
Saurashtra wrapped up a crushing win over Punjab inside two days. After gaining a 33-run first-innings lead, they recovered from 75/5 to post 286 in the second innings. Spinners Parth Bhut and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja then claimed five wickets apiece as Punjab crumbled for 125 while chasing 319. It was a forgettable outing for Shubman Gill, who managed scores of 0 and 14.
Group B leaders Karnataka were rocked by Madhya Pradesh, collapsing to 168/8 in reply to 323. Saransh Jain led the bowling with three wickets, while ducks for Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal deepened Karnataka’s woes. Aneesh KV’s unbeaten 80 helped limit the damage, leaving a deficit of 155.
Other Notable Results
Baroda cruised to an innings-and-six-run win over Nagaland after posting 353, with half-centuries from Jyotsnil Singh, Shivalik Sharma, Krunal Pandya, and Mahesh Pithiya. Nagaland folded for 141, with Pithiya and Atit Sheth picking up three wickets each.
Uttarakhand staged a remarkable turnaround against Tripura, rallying from 128/6 to 299/6. An unbroken 171-run stand between J Suchith (84)* and Saurabh Rawat (80)* handed Uttarakhand a 33-run lead.
