Karnataka will have to make do without its captain, Mayank Agarwal, when it takes on Railways in a crucial Ranji Trophy Elite Group C encounter at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat on Friday.
The opening batter suffered a health scare on Tuesday, consuming a toxic liquid while the team was en route to Surat. The 32-year-old is currently under precautionary medical supervision in Bengaluru.
Mayank is Karnataka’s second top-scorer this edition, with 310 runs in seven innings. Middle-order batter and designated vice-captain Nikin Jose will take over the mantle of skipper during his absence.
The team’s top-scorer, Devdutt Padikkal (369 runs in four innings), continues to miss out following his selection to the India A squad taking on the touring England Lions in Ahmedabad.
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The rest of the batters have had an average tournament so far, but the team will be boosted by the return of veteran Manish Pandey from injury.
The fast-bowling trio of Vidwath Kaverappa, V. Koushik and Vijaykumar Vyshak did most of the heavy lifting against Tripura, picking up 17 wickets. With the red-soil pitch likely to be in use, the management will hope for more contributions from 17-year-old all-rounder Hardik Raj and off-spinner Shashi Kumar.
Railways, on the other hand, enters the contest after a morale-boosting 184-run win over Gujarat in Valsad. The team is just three points shy of the top spot and will fancy its chances to qualify for the knockouts.
Experienced leggie Karn Sharma was the wrecker-in-chief during the fourth innings against Gujarat, picking up four wickets, but it is all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (18 wickets in seven innings) and the pace battery that has produced consistent performances this season.
Among the batters, Captain Pratham Singh (219 runs in six innings) and opening partner Vivek Singh have provided solid starts at the top, while Mohammad Saif has added some crucial runs from the middle order.
“We are currently playing really good cricket. We have the perfect mix of youngsters and senior players and some talented game-changers in our squad. We want to just stick to our plans and be calm because we have prepared well,” Pratham said on the eve of the match.
With two matches left in the group stage and four teams tussling for two knockout spots, any slip-ups could prove costly.
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