"Ranji Trophy On Par With Test Cricket": Domestic Star After Rookies Impress vs England

25.02.2024 - 09:17 sports.ndtv.com

India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was all praise for batter Sarfaraz Khan and pacer Akash Deep after both players impressed on their Test debuts during the ongoing Test series against England.

Easwaran, who recently led India 'A' against the England Lions, suggested that Ranji Trophy is on par with Test cricket in terms of quality.

Despite not getting a place in the Indian Test squad, Easwaran was delighted to see the domestic stars like Sarfaraz and Akash doing well against England.

Easwaran pointed out that the standard of Ranji Trophy has only improved over the last few years. "Ranji Trophy is constantly improving because a lot of players are going into the IPL and then coming back to play domestic cricket.

cricket India Cricket Team England Cricket Team Sarfaraz Khan 2024 on Abhimanyu Easwaran India

Skipper R Sai Kishore's inner voice has played a big role in bringing Tamil Nadu this far but his decision to bat on a seaming wicket against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semifinal was wrong, said Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni on Monday. In what turned out to be a surprising call which prompted reactions including those from R Ashwin and Saurashtra's Jaydev Unadkat, Sai Kishore put his side in to bat first on a seaming wicket which had Tamil Nadu reeling at 42/5 inside the first session.

"International Comeback Is Far": In-form India Star's Response Despite Ranji Trophy Heroics

Shardul Thakur's sizzling 109 and Tanush Kotian's unbeaten 74 offset R Sai Kishore's six-wicket haul, putting Mumbai in command by powering them to a 207-run first-innings lead over Tamil Nadu on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semifinal on Sunday. Ultimately, Mumbai won the match by an innings and 70 runs. Thakur, meanwhile, admitted that an international comeback for India is not on the cards despite his maiden century across formats. "I think international comeback is far from now because the Test team is out already for the fifth game (against England) and after this we are going into the IPL.

Players Often Under-Perform, Feign Injury In Ranji Trophy After Getting IPL Contract: Ex-India Star

Former India player Manoj Tiwary, who called time on his cricket career last month, backed the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its domestic cricket mandate. While announcing the central contracts for the 2023-24 season, the board reiterated that players who are fit and not on national duty should play domestic cricket for their respective teams. Tiwary said that this is the only way to save tournaments like Ranji Trophy. He also explained how lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts impact players' performance and objectives during domestic matches.

After BCCI Axing, Shreyas Iyer Returns To Ranji Trophy. His Captain Ajinkya Rahane Drops 'Contribution' Word

Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane on Friday backed Shreyas Iyer to put the contractual turmoil behind him and deliver a punchy performance for the team in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu, beginning here on Saturday. Shreyas along with Jharkhand's Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual central contracts after both the players skipped the Ranji matches of their respective teams in violation of BCCI's diktat.

Shreyas Iyer In Focus As Mumbai Take On Tamil Nadu In Ranji Trophy Semifinal

Out-of-favour India batter Shreyas Iyer will be motivated to prove a point and serve a timely reminder of his skillset as he gets back to domestic action when the record 41-time champions Mumbai take on Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semifinal in Mumbai on Saturday. Dropped from the Indian Test side and discarded from BCCI's list of contracted players after he did not make himself available for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal due to groin and back trouble, Iyer has recovered completely to join Mumbai for the key clash.

CSK Pacer Makes History, Breaks 78-Year-Old Record With Ranji Trophy Ton

Mumbai fast bowler Tushar Deshpande, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), made history on Tuesday as he slammed a brilliant century at No. 11 during the Ranji Trophy match against Baroda. Deshpande ended up scoring 123 off 129 balls - the highest score by an Indian No. 11 batter in first-class cricket. The record previously belonged to Shute Banerjee who scored 121 while batting at No. 11 for India during a tour match against Surrey during the tour of England in 1946.