New Delhi, Oct 18 (UNI) Senior pacer Mohammed Shami’s inspiring comeback and Rinku Singh’s timely century headlined the opening round of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, as Bengal and Uttar Pradesh registered strong starts to their campaigns.
At Eden Gardens, Shami powered Bengal to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Uttarakhand in their Group C clash, marking his return to domestic red-ball cricket with a superb seven-wicket match haul.
Meanwhile in Kanpur, Rinku Singh underlined his temperament and timing with a composed century for Uttar Pradesh against Andhra Pradesh — a performance that comes just days before India’s T20I series against Australia.
Returning from a knee injury, Shami led Bengal’s bowling attack with a trademark burst of pace and control. He picked up three wickets in four balls to rip through Uttarakhand’s tail in the first innings, finishing with 3 for 37, before adding four more in the second to seal victory.
Bengal’s disciplined performance, supported by Sudip Chatterjee’s 98 and Saurabh Gupta’s 82, helped them take a first-innings lead of 110 before chasing down a 156-run target with ease. Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran guided the chase with an unbeaten half-century.
Shami was named Player of the Match for his seven-wicket haul (7/87), marking a significant step in his comeback trail and reaffirming his readiness for higher-level selection. DS Bora’s six-wicket effort (6/79) was the only bright spot for Uttarakhand.
In Rajkot, the Karnataka-Saurashtra Ranji Trophy clash ended in a draw after Karnataka’s delayed declaration cost them a potential win despite dominating the contest.
Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal was the standout performer with a match haul of 11 wickets, using his variations and control to trouble Saurashtra throughout.
Set a challenging target of 229 in a session and a half, Saurashtra slipped to 43 for four before Gajjar Sammar (43 not out) and concussion substitute Jay Gohil (41) defied Karnataka with a gritty 81-run stand to take their side to safety at 128 for five.
Earlier, captain Mayank Agarwal’s composed 64 and KL Shrijith’s quickfire 31 helped Karnataka build a commanding lead, but their cautious approach denied them a deserved victory.
Elsewhere, Jharkhand thrashed Tamil Nadu by an innings and 114 runs in Coimbatore, riding on superb spells from spinners Rishav Raj (4/49) and Anukul Roy (3/42).
In Srinagar, Shams Mulani’s 7 for 46 spun Mumbai to a 35-run victory over Jammu & Kashmir — their first-ever win against the hosts.
At Thiruvananthapuram, Prithvi Shaw (75) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (55*) helped Maharashtra draw against Kerala after rain interruptions.
The first round of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 thus saw two remarkable comeback stories — Shami’s return to form and Rinku’s statement of intent — setting a spirited tone for India’s premier domestic season.
