Ranji Trophy 2023-24: A revamped Kerala takes on in-form Andhra

Not much is at stake for Kerala in terms of qualification as it is out of contention for a place in the knockout round, but certainly the visitor will want to end the season on a high.

Kerala’s batter Sachin Baby in the Ranji Trophy | Photo Credit: PTI

A new look Kerala side under stand-in captain Sachin Baby will take on the in-form Andhra in the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy cricket tournament at the Dr PVG Raju ACA sports Complex stadium here on Friday.

Not much is at stake for Kerala in terms of qualification as it is out of contention for a place in the knockout round, but certainly the visitor will want to end the season on a high.

Kerala is coming into the match with the confidence it gained in the win over Bengal at home. Sachin Baby has been a heavyweight contributor for Kerala this season with 717 runs which included three centuries. He has often come to his side’s rescue in almost all matches this season.

Now the Kerala selectors have given additional responsibility of captaincy to Sachin Baby for the last match after Sanju Samson was allowed rest. With no Sanju Samson (rest), Rohan Prem (retired), Vishnu Vinod (dropped) and Akhin Sathar (injured), the team management is keen to test the bench strength and will give chances to players who are to get a game this season.

“The win against Bengal was good and it was a near perfect match for us. But we are up against Andhra which has been playing good cricket this season. Andhra has qualified but we expect them to come at us hard and it will be a tough match. We have nothing to lose and since we will be trying new players, I want the boys to play fearlessly. Sachin Baby is quite experienced and he was the natural choice as captain when Sanju was rested. I expect Jalaj to recover and be fit for the match. We want to end the season on a high,’’ said Kerala coach M. Venkataramana.

But Kerala has its task cut out against Ricky Bhui’s Andhra which is looking for its first win at home this season. Ricky has topped the season’s run scoring chart with a staggering 773 runs and is still hungrier for more. Andhra bats deep and runs from lower order batters have contributed to the side’s sterling show this season. A.

Lalith Mohan, Nithish Kumar Reddy and Girinath Reddy have got wickets when their team needed it most. With an impressive away record this season, Andhra will be looking to set its home record straight at the expense of Kerala.