After a two-month break, the Ranji Trophy resumes on Monday to conclude the 2021-22 domestic first-class season. After an absorbing first round, eight teams – Bengal, Jharkhand, Mumbai, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh – remain in the competition, and they will fight it out this week for a spot in the semifinals.
Numerous Indian Premier League (IPL) stars will be in action. Here are a few prominent names among them.
1. Manish Pandey: The middle-order batter will lead Karnataka in the quarterfinal against Uttar Pradesh at the KCA Cricket Ground in Alur, Bengaluru.
Manish, a domestic stalwart who has played for India, endured a difficult IPL, scoring just 88 runs in six matches for Lucknow Super Giants, which had purchased his services for ₹4.60 crore at the IPL auction in February.
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In the Ranji Trophy, however, he has been among the runs, scoring 325 – including two centuries – in three first-class matches.
2. Mayank Agarwal: The Karnataka opener was appointed captain of Punjab Kings for this season.
The team underwhelmed again, finishing sixth after seven wins and seven losses. He, too, flopped with the bat, scoring a total of 196 runs in 13 matches and registering just a single half-century.
Because of his India duties, he played just a single game in the Ranji Trophy this season, scoring 72 runs, including a half-century.
3. Shahbaz Ahmed: Shahbaz, primarily a left-arm spinner, has been garnering attention of late by showcasing his skills with the bat.
In the first round of the Ranji Trophy, he helped Bengal win a tight contest against Baroda thanks to a rearguard effort with the bat. And he shone through in the IPL, too, providing good resistance with the bat lower down the order.
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Shahbaz will play this week in the quarterfinal against Jharkhand in Bengaluru.
4. Shubman Gill: The Punjab opener had a fruitful Indian Premier League, scoring 483 runs in 16 matches to help Gujarat Titans clinch the title in its first season.
Because of his India duties, Gill hasn't yet played a single game in the Ranji Trophy.
He will be available for the quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh.
5. Rajat Patidar: The Madhya Pradesh batter didn't play all the matches for his IPL team – Royal Challengers Bangalore – but contributed when it mattered. His unbeaten 112 was the fourth 100-plus score registered by an uncapped Indian player in the IPL. And he scored those runs in the knockout round to give the Royal Challengers a good chance of winning its first title.
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Patidar will serve as vice-captain for the Madhya Pradesh team for the quarterfinal against Punjab.
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