New Delhi: Team India’s Test players returned to domestic cricket in the opening round of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season after the BCCI asked available cricketers to play for their respective teams. The Men in Blue will play a crucial two-match Test series against New Zealand, which will be crucial to secure a spot in the WTC final, and these games offer a great opportunity for the players to build form.
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan and Sarfaraz Khan struggled with the bat, and Ravindra Jadeja delivered a brilliant all-round performance for Saurashtra. Mohammed Siraj and Washington also made valuable contributions to their team’s campaigns.
Jadeja delivers but other batters struggle
Karnataka’s KL Rahul struggled against Andhra Pradesh and scored just four runs in the first innings and one in the second. The match ended in a draw at the Dr Gokaraju Liala Gangaaraju ACA Cricket Ground in Vijayawada. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal departed for a duck off 13 balls while playing for Mumbai against Chandigarh. He was dismissed by Jagjit Singh, but Mumbai won the match by an innings and 155 runs.
Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan scored just three runs off 10 balls against Rajasthan and was dismissed by Chetan Sharma. The match was played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur and ended in a draw. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a big impact while playing for Saurashtra, smashing just 102 runs off 209 balls against Chhattisgarh. He also picked up three wickets and gave away 40 runs in 17 overs in the first innings, with the match ending in a draw.
Siraj, Shami and other bowlers make contributions
Mohammed Siraj led Hyderabad against Tripura and picked up two wickets, conceding just 19 runs in the second innings after going wicketless in the first. Hyderabad won the match by an innings and 40 runs inside three days. Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar took two wickets for 85 runs in 23 overs in the first innings against Assam.
Rajasthan skipper Manav Suthar scored 17 off 60 balls at No. 7 against Tamil Nadu but failed to pick up a wicket in the first innings. Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep claimed two wickets for 74 runs in 17 overs against Delhi, helping his team to secure a 9-wicket win. Mohammed Shami picked up four wickets in the first innings.
Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain failed to deliver with the bat in the first innings, but scored an unbeaten 35 runs in the second. He failed to take any wickets so far. J&K pacer Auqib Nabi Dar took one wicket for 42 runs in 20 overs in the first innings against Madhya Pradesh. He claimed two more wickets in the second innings on Day 3.
