The third round of the 2024 Ranji Trophy concluded on January 24. Here is a summary of all the performances of the India hopefuls in the top division of India first-class cricket.
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
Cheteshwar Pujara: As a place opens in India’s Test squad, the middle-order batter posted scores of 43 and 66, making himself a great option for India in the upcoming test series to fill the Virat Kohli-shaped hole. With 444 runs at 111.00, Pujara is the leading run-scorer of the 2024 Ranji Trophy by some distance.
Riyan Parag: Riyan’s top form continued as he made 75 runs in fourth innings against Andhra. He went into the final day on 45 with Assam on 81-5, requiring another 282 to win. The tail wagged slightly with wicketkeeper Sumit Ghadigaonkar trundling to 61 off 102, sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 62 from 14 overs with Akash Sengupta, but Assam lost by 172 runs.
Hanuma Vihari: On the other side of this Assam defeat was Hanuma Vihari, scoring an important 63 in a partnership with eventual Player of the Match Ricky Bhui, who went on to score 125 after sharing a partnership worth 121 with Vihari taking Andhra to a convincing victory.
Jayant Yadav: The 33 year-old off-spin-bowling all-rounder made a brief appearance as an in-season signing for Middlesex in the 2023 County Championship. He needed only 9.5 overs to take five wickets across the two innings as Haryana dismantled Manipur, winning by an innings and 338 runs after his batting teammates conjured up a first innings total of 508.
Himanshu Rana: Rana was the man behind much of Haryana’s previously mentioned gargantuan score of 508, with a similarly huge score of 250. His valiant efforts were matched by the bowlers, who responded by helping enforce the follow on for Manipur and bowling them out in the second innings for a mere 93.
I.C.Y.M.I
Timing. Temperament. Placement 👌👌
Himanshu Rana smashed 250* off 313 balls to help Haryana register a big win over Manipur. 🙌🙌
Watch 📽️ his cracking knock laced with 3⃣3⃣ fours 🔽@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/PYOsftDhuQ
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 21, 2024
Ajinkya Rahane: The former Indian captain falls deeper into his recent run of poor form producing a second consecutive golden duck, followed by and a measly 16.
Mayank Agarwal: After scoring a century in the last round, Agarwal followed it up with another, but was among three Karnataka players to make a hundred. However, yet again, his score amounted to nothing as Goa batted out for a draw on the final day.
Jaydev Unadkat: The Saurashtra captain’s fellow bowlers did the business of taking wickets as he held an economy rate across the match at 3.23 finding three wickets as his side ran away with a victory against Vidarbha.
Umesh Yadav: In the same match, Umesh, dropped from the Indian Test side, rattled defending champions Saurashtra with 4-56 and 3-42, but it went in vain as Vidarbha lost by 238 runs.
Umran Malik: The tailender held his nerve in a tight match against Odisha, accompanying Abdul Samad in his match winning knock of 66 by remaining at the crease for long enough to see the game out. He left the game with three more wickets to his name and an economic bowling record.
Rohit Sharma (not that one, not that one, that one): The Jammu & Kashmir medium pacer took seven wickets across the match including career best figures of 5-12 in his side’s close victory over Odisha.
