that One Over perhaps has shut Mumbai out of Ranji 2025

Cricket buffs would be happy for sometime watching matches of ICC Champions Trophy which starts with first match at Karachi between Pakistan and Newzealand.   India next play Bangladesh. 

In what could be a dream wildcard entry, a player who made his International debut in 2021 (played IPL much earlier) and who has till date played a solitary ODI, that too recently is in the squad - Varun Chakravarthy.  Hope he is played against Pak and performs well. 

Meantime, are you following the Nation’s premier Cricket tournament – the Ranji trophy and can you tell which team the man with nearly 7000 first class runs, 478 wickets, 35 – five wicket hauls, aged 38 is playing for ?   

In the 2^nd Semi Final at Nagpur – Vidarbha made 383 and has star studded Mumbai under grips struggling at 188/7.  With 195 behind, hopefully, Vidarbha emerges with first innings lead and eventually wins the match too.   

 

Parth Rekhade,   left-arm spin allrounder playing in only his second first-class match, dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube in a single over, the 41st of the innings, as Mumbai went from a comfortable 113 for 2 to 113 for 5. Rahane was the first to go in the triple-wicket over for 18 when the ball rolled back onto the stumps off a defensive push. Suryakumar Yadav was next, out for a two-ball duck !  

Making hopes vanish, Shams Mulani, who orchestrated a stunning turnaround in the quarter-final courtesy a century stand with Tanush Kotian, was trapped lbw by Harsh Dubey, the left-arm spinner. Originally given not out as he played around a sharp-turning delivery, Akshay Wadkar opted to review the decision and replays confirmed the ball would've crashed into the stumps. Mulani had to walk back for 4 as Dubey picked up his 60th wicket – making  him the sixth bowler in Ranji history and the first since Jaydev Unadkat in 2019-20 to pick up 60 or more in a season.  

Not many would have noticed Shivam Dube’s bowling performance of 11.5-1-49-5, yes five wicket haul.   

In the other Semis at Ahmedabad, Kerala crawled to 418/7 at stumps on day 2.  Kerala were painfully cautious on the second day, just like they were on the first, adding 212 to their overnight 206 for 4. Their go-slow approach made it clear that they were keen on batting just once in their quest to enter their maiden Ranji Trophy final.  

Jalaj Saxena, the most successful man in Ranji made only 30 this time for Kerala.  Since his first-class debut in December 2005, no one has taken more Ranji Trophy wickets than Jalaj Saxena. Nearly two decades into his career, he continues to push boundaries at an age where several of his contemporaries have long retired. Earlier this season, the Kerala allrounder became the first player to achieve the double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.  

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
18.2.2025