Ranji Trophy: Winless Himachal out to end the jinx in final league game against Pondicherry

Himachal Pradesh, floundering at the bottom of the group with four points, will rely heavily on the services of veteran all-rounder Rishi Dhawan.

FILE PHOTO: Rishi Dhawan in action during a Raja of Palayampatti Shield cricket match in 2022. | Photo Credit: PICHUMANI K / THE HINDU

Himachal Pradesh, on the cusp of being relegated to the Plate Group owing to a winless run, will be looking to end the jinx when it meets Pondicherry in the final round of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘D’ match at the Siechem Stadium on Friday.

The Ankit Kalsi-led side, having lost four out of its six games, is floundering at the bottom of the group with four points. It will rely heavily on the services of veteran all-rounder Rishi Dhawan, who is the leading run-scorer (389) and second-highest wicket-taker (19) for his team this season. 

While he has got a bit of support from Prashant Chopra and Kalsi on the batting front, the collective attack from all ends is what Himachal has missed this season.

In Vaibhav Arora, the team has a wicket-taking fast bowler, but the bowling threat plummets as soon as he finishes his spell.

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Given how Pondicherry’s match against J&K panned out, with spinners claiming the majority of wickets, Himachal will hope tweakers like Akash Vashist get into the act. 

For the host, this season went much better than the last, where it found itself bottom-placed with only one win and five losses. Pondicherry has already won two matches this season and would want to end the campaign at its home on a high.

However, with two losses in familiar surroundings, Pondicherry hasn’t really made great use of its home conditions. The recent defeat against J&K would hurt more, especially because the side failed to chase 87. 

While the batting duties have mostly been handled by Arun Karthik and Paras Dogra, Akash Kargave and Santosh Ratnaparkhe have often extended a helping hand.

In the other department, it has been a season to remember for Gaurav Yadav, who has picked 39 wickets to become the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Gaurav has a partner in Sagar Udeshi, who is next in line on the wicket-takers’ list, having scalped 34 with his left-arm spin. 

It will be an important game for Himachal to give itself a chance to stay among the Elites, while Pondicherry will look to end the season like it started—with a win.