The first day of the sixth round of Ranji Trophy matches provided cricket fans with a mix of excitement and disappointment as familiar names faced unexpected challenges. Players who have enjoyed illustrious careers were left grappling with form and pressure, while emerging talents showcased their skills.
Rohit Sharma made his much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after nearly a decade, but his performance left much to be desired. Sharma’s innings was cut short as he scored a mere three runs off 19 balls before being dismissed off a leading edge while attempting a half-hearted pull shot to a rising ball delivered by Jammu & Kashmir's Umar Nazir. This dismissal was reminiscent of his recent Test innings, where he was also caught out in similar fashion. Following Rohit's early exit, Yashasvi Jaiswal also fell quickly as the Mumbai team struggled to establish a foothold after opting to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer contributed scores of just 12 and 11 respectively, leading to a quick collapse for Mumbai. They concluded their first innings at a disappointing total of 120 runs within just 33.2 overs. Despite this setback, Mumbai's bowlers had a chance to narrow the deficit, aiming to keep it under three figures. Rohit's return to domestic cricket coincides with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's updated guidelines introduced following India's recent Test series defeat in Australia. His absence from the Sydney Test has cast a shadow over his Test future, yet he remains hopeful of continuing to lead the team in future matches.
In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill’s return to the domestic arena also proved to be a challenging affair. As Punjab’s captain, he struggled not only at the crease but also in his leadership role. The team, missing key player Abhishek Sharma, suffered a heavy defeat, bowled out for just 55 runs. Gill managed only 4 runs before being caught behind, victim to the formidable swing and seam bowling that dominated the play on a green-tinted pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium. By the end of the day’s play, Punjab found themselves in a deep hole, requiring a stellar performance from Gill to salvage any points from the match. Gill arrived at this match seeking to regain form and confidence following a disappointing Australian tour, where his performance featured only three Tests among five innings, yielding just 93 runs. Notably, outside of Asia, he has struggled significantly, averaging 17.64 across his recent 18 innings.
In Rajkot, Rishabh Pant’s return to action was cut short as he was dismissed for just 10 balls faced, falling to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Pant’s early exit was part of Delhi's top-order collapse against a proficient spin attack led by Jadeja, who excelled in conditions favoring spin bowling. Jadeja’s five-wicket haul marked his 35th in first-class cricket, rendering Delhi vulnerable as they were bundled out for 188 runs. By stumps, Saurashtra trailed Delhi by only 25 runs but had already lost five wickets, including their captain Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja himself, who had emerged as Saurashtra’s top scorer at that point with 38 runs. Pujara’s form has been disappointing this season; apart from a magnificent 234 against Chhattisgarh, his other innings yielded low scores of 16, 0, 2, 3, and 14.
Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, Siddharth Desai nearly recorded a rare feat by achieving a perfect ten but ended the first session with an impressive nine wickets against Uttarakhand. He fell just short of joining the ranks of bowlers achieving this milestone after Vishal Jayswal picked up the final wicket. Desai's figures of 9 for 36 marked the best bowling performance in first-class cricket by a Gujarat player and surpassed Jasu Patel's long-standing record from 1960-61. Having debuted in 2017-18 with an impressive showing, Desai has emerged as Gujarat's leading spinner, especially following Piyush Chawla's departure to Uttar Pradesh.
In a noteworthy performance, Khaleel Ahmed claimed his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, nearly a decade after his debut. His impressive figures of 5 for 37 against Vidarbha included vital wickets, such as that of prolific scorer Karun Nair from the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Khaleel's performance comes at an opportune moment, as selectors are keen on integrating left-arm seamers into India's Test setup—a role that has been quietly vacant since Zaheer Khan's retirement. With only 17 first-class matches to his name, Khaleel has started to make his mark this Ranji season, building upon his four wickets in the Duleep Trophy earlier this year.
As the matches progress, the performances of these players will continue to be closely monitored by fans and selectors alike. The Ranji Trophy serves as a vital platform for cricketers to showcase their capabilities and secure their places in the national squad while providing thrilling action for the passionate cricket audience in India.