Ranji Trophy: Punjab, Gujarat bundled out on opening day

The Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic cricket competition, got off to an exciting start with several thrilling encounters on the opening day. Teams from various groups showcased their talent and battled it out against each other for supremacy.

Group A

In Nagpur, Services got off to a solid start, posting 223 for 8 against Vidarbha. Captain Rajat Paliwal (84) and wicketkeeper LS Kumar (73) led the charge with impressive half-centuries. However, Darshan Nalkande of Vidarbha picked up three crucial wickets to keep his team in contention.

In Rohtak, bad light played spoilsport as no play was possible between Haryana and Rajasthan. Both teams will be eagerly waiting for the weather to clear up to get their campaign underway.

In Solapur, Maharashtra had a dominant performance against Manipur. Hitesh Walunj's fifer and Pradeep Dadhe's 4-35 ensured that Manipur was bundled out for just 137. Maharashtra then ended the day on 123 for 3 with Siddhesh Veer contributing a well-made 58.

In Rajkot, Jharkhand had a dismal outing as they were bowled out for a paltry 122. Chirag Jani of Saurashtra was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up an impressive 5 for 22. In response, Saurashtra finished the day on 108 for 1, with opener Harvik Desai unbeaten on 54.

Group B

Amandeep Khare's brilliant knock of 116 guided Chhattisgarh to 249 for 5 against Assam in Raipur. Alongside him, Ashutosh Singh also contributed with a well-made fifty, setting the stage for a competitive match.

In Alappuzha, Uttar Pradesh had a decent outing, posting 244 for 5 against Kerala. Rinku Singh and Dhruv Jurel played crucial unbeaten half-centuries, sharing a 120-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Mumbai had a tough time against Patna as they struggled to 235 for 9. Veer Pratap Singh's four-wicket haul limited Mumbai's scoring rate, undoing the impressive half-centuries by Bhupen Lalwani, Suved Parkar, and Tanush Kotian.

Bengal had a solid start against Andhra in Visakhapatnam, courtesy Anustup Majumdar's brisk 125-run knock. Bengal finished the day on 289 for 4, with opener Sourav Paul falling agonizingly short of a century.

Group C

Gujarat faced a disappointing outing against Tamil Nadu in Valsad. Despite half-centuries from Manan Hingrajia and Umang Kumar, Gujarat was bundled out for 236. M Mohammed and Sandeep Warrier starred with the ball, picking up five and four wickets respectively.

In Chandigarh, Yuvraj Singh rolled back the years with a sensational bowling performance, taking 5 for 10 to help Railways bowl out Chandigarh for just 96. Railways then ended the day on a strong note, reaching 73 without any loss.

Punjab struggled against Karnataka, getting bowled out for a mere 152. V Koushik was the chief destroyer, returning impressive figures of 7 for 61. In reply, Karnataka had a solid start, finishing the day on 142 for 3, thanks to Devdutt Padikkal's run-a-ball unbeaten 80.

Tripura had a positive outing against Goa, reaching 261 for 4 on the opening day. Sridam Paul anchored the innings with a well-made 112.

Group D

Jammu & Kashmir had a tough day as they were bundled out for just 100 by Himachal in Jammu. Vaibhav Arora was the standout bowler, picking up four wickets. Himachal then ended the day on 47 for no loss, firmly in control.

In Dehradun, Madhya Pradesh had a productive outing, reaching 291 for 7 against Uttarakhand. Venkatesh Iyer and Saransh Jain were the star performers with impressive half-centuries.

Delhi had a shaky start against Puducherry, losing four wickets for just 40 runs before bad light brought an early end to the day's play.

Baroda had an excellent day against Odisha in Vadodara, posting a commendable 322 for 6. Jyotsnil Singh, Mitesh Patel, and Atit Sheth all stroked valuable half-centuries to give Baroda a dominant position.

Plate

In Nadiad, Sikkim got off to a decent start, thanks to fifties from Pankaj Rawat and Ashish Thapa. However, KC Cariappa's triple strike pegged them back, ensuring they finished the day on 251 for 5 against Mizoram.

Hyderabad had a field day in Dimapur, amassing a massive total of 457 for 5 against Nagaland. G Rahul Singh was the star of the innings, smashing an impressive 214 off just 157 balls. Hyderabad declared their innings and then reduced Nagaland to 35 for 1 at the end of the day.

Arunachal had a disappointing outing against Meghalaya, getting bowled out for a paltry 94. Dippu Sangma was the wrecker-in-chief, picking up four wickets. Meghalaya then dominated proceedings, reaching 203 for 2 thanks to half-centuries from Ram Gurung and Kishan Lyngdoh.

The opening day of the Ranji Trophy provided plenty of excitement and showcased some brilliant individual performances. As the tournament progresses, cricket enthusiasts can look forward to more thrilling encounters and exceptional displays of talent from India's domestic cricketers.