Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Table topper Hyderabad looks to continue winning momentum against Mizoram

Former champion Hyderabad has 28 points winning all the four games it played and all of them inside two days while Mizoram has 15 points from four matches with two wins, one loss and a draw.

FILE PHOTO: Hyderabad left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan in action. | Photo Credit: V V Subrahmanyam/ The Hindu

Table-topper Hyderabad takes on second-placed Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group league match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here from Friday.

Former champion Hyderabad has 28 points winning all the four games it played and all of them inside two days while Mizoram has 15 points from four matches with two wins, one loss and a draw.

Contrary to the expectations that the selectors might be tempted to try out some young and new faces like K. Hima Teja, who has been the most prolific scorer in the on-going Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy (under-23) championship, the panel preferred to play it safe and decided to name an unchanged squad for tomorrow’s game.

The objective of Hyderabad is to make it to the knock-out phase winning all the matches.

The game has been shifted to Uppal Stadium where the match is expected to last longer unless Hyderabad comes up with yet another all-round superiority.

Left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan is the leading wicket-taker with 27 wickets, though often he proved to be expensive but importantly striking the big blows at regular intervals. He proved to be a perfect complement to left-arm pacer Chama Milind and his new-ball bowling partner Karthikeya Kak once the pacers struck the early blows.

In batting, opener captain G. Rahul Singh, who has a double century and a century this season, and Tanmay Agarwal, who cracked a record-breaking triple century in the previous game against Sikkim, need to get off to a good start again to give the desired cushion to other batters like Rohit Rayudu, Chandan Sahani, wicketkeeper-batter Pragnay Reddy to chip in with vital contributions.

Mizoram captain Lalhruai Ralte will be looking at southpaw Agni Chopra (767), who topped the batting charts; left-arm pacer Mohit Jangra (33 wickets), who also scored a century, and leg-spinner K.C. Cariappa (31 wickets) as the pick of the bowlers against Hyderabad.