It’s that time of the year again! The biggest domestic competition in Indian cricket, the Ranji Trophy kick started a brand-new season on December 13. Four of our Royals - Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Sen received call-ups to represent their respective state teams. Kuldeep, who sustained an injury during India’s ODI series against Bangladesh, did not feature in the first leg that saw Madhya Pradesh impose an innings-defeat on Jammu & Kashmir.
Your 4 Royals @ 4 day cricket. 💪💗 pic.twitter.com/w30HDknxOf
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 12, 2022
Here’s a round-up of how the Royals performed in their opening games:
Riyan brings his all-round flair
76, 95 and 4/119 - it’s fair to say Riyan Parag did not want to waste a single opportunity that came his way as Assam went up against recently-crowned Vijay Hazare Trophy champions, Saurashtra. In what was a neck-and-neck contest between both teams, the youngster brought his A game, not just with the bat but also the ball, to push the opponent on the back foot. Assam’s commendable fightback made sure the match ended in a draw as Saurashtra kept looking for an opening.
Dial 𝘙𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘯 for all-rounder. 📞💗 pic.twitter.com/dvhrL372hx
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 16, 2022
Sanju sizzles for Kerala
Three years after he last played red-ball cricket, Sanju Samson scored a gritty half-century in Kerala’s opening fixture against Jharkhand. Leading the team, he quickly capitalised on the strong start provided by the openers and stabilised the middle order. Forming a crucial partnership with centurion Akshay Chandran, Sanju got to his 13th first-class fifty in style. His knock of 72 was laced with four fours and seven sixes. Thanks to a solid performance from the batting unit, Kerala posted 475 in the first innings. And despite an equally fighting performance from Jharkand, Sanju & co. registered an 85-run victory in the end, with Jalaj Saxena standing out as the star bowler with nine wickets in the match.
Yashasvi continues his good touch
It has been a year to cherish for young Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose stunning batting form continues to earn him accolades and huge praise from the cricketing fraternity. After winning the Duleep Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scoring a scintillating hundred on his India A debut this year, the 20-year-old now has his eyes on the ultimate prize in four-day cricket. In Mumbai’s first match against Andhra, he scored a patient 45 to help Mumbai respond strongly to Andhra’s first-innings total of 238. An all-round bowling effort from Mumbai in the second innings meant that their batters had an easy chase on their hands. Yashasvi’s unbeaten 17 alongside Armaan Jaffer ensured Mumbai sailed smoothly to a 9-wicket win.
