Captain R. Sai Kishore delivered a standout performance at Chepauk, claiming a hat-trick to propel Tamil Nadu to a comprehensive innings victory over Uttarakhand. The left-arm spinner finished with a match haul of 10 for 74, supported by teammate Ajith Ram, who claimed the remaining four wickets during the second innings.
Bengal managed a hard-fought 60-run victory over Services in a spin-dominated encounter. Pradipta Pramanik spearheaded the bowling attack with 4 for 48, while Shahbaz Ahmed chipped in with 3 for 44. Meanwhile, Baroda secured a facile 10-wicket win against Bihar, set up by Bhargav Bhatt’s decisive 6 for 53 that triggered a major collapse for the visitors. Mangal Mahrour’s 138 had provided Bihar a strong start, but the team slipped from 203 for 2 to 251 all out.
Assam triumphed over Tripura by nine wickets despite a valiant effort from visiting captain Manisankar Murasingh, who blitzed 161 off 160 balls after his side had been reduced to 54 for 5. Mohit Thakur’s eight-wicket match haul proved instrumental in the win. Elsewhere, Sikkim dominated Arunachal Pradesh, clinching an innings and 328-run victory. Gurinder Singh’s 146 helped set up a massive declaration of 572 for 5, while Satyajeet Bachhav dismantled the opposition with a spell of 5 for 27.
Ruturaj Gaikwad made an impressive start to his Ranji campaign, striking an unbeaten 101 while batting at No. 7 for Maharashtra. Ankit Bawne remained not out on 169, pushing the team to a 358-run lead, while Jharkhand’s Shikhar Mohan ended the day unbeaten on 74. In another match, K. Himateja’s unbeaten 123 allowed Hyderabad to set Andhra a target of 398, with Tanay Thyagarajan also contributing an unbeaten half-century. Stroking his way to an unbeaten 101 at No.7, ruturaj Gaikwad’s first hit out with the bat in this Ranji Trophy season was a fruitful one. Allowing Hyderabad to set Andhra a target of 398, k Himateja enhanced a burgeoning reputation with a magnificent unbeaten 123.
Saurashtra edged out Karnataka in a battle for a first-innings lead. Key contributions from Samar Gajjar (79), Arpit Vasavada (65), and a crucial ninth-wicket stand of 40 runs by Parth Bhut and Jaydev Unadkat proved vital. Vidwath Kaverappa’s four-wicket haul was a highlight for Karnataka. In other contests, Manan Hingrajia’s century and Jaymeet Patel’s 72 rescued Gujarat against Delhi, while Mumbai extended their lead over Himachal Pradesh to 388, driven by Akash Anand’s century and Sarfaraz Khan’s 154. Keeping the Delhi bowlers at bay, manan Hingrajia’s ton rescued Gujarat in the company of Jaymeet Patel’s 72.
Uttar Pradesh defeated Goa by 68 runs. Although Yash Kasvankar took five wickets for Goa, the home side was eventually bowled out for 197. Kartik Yadav responded with five wickets of his own to seal the win for UP. In another game, Aryan Juyal and Suyash Prabhudessai both scored seventies, but Goa failed to chase down a target of 235. But it was bittersweet for the latter as Goa fell well short in pursuit of 235 against Uttar Pradesh, a pair of seventies for Aryan Juyal and Suyash Prabhudessai.
Punjab enforced a follow-on against Chhattisgarh after Harpreet Brar registered a career-best 7 for 56. Amandeep Khare’s gritty 91 failed to save the follow-on, though he remained unbeaten on 37 in the second innings. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir narrowly avoided defeat against Vidarbha; despite Sunil Kumar’s four-wicket haul, Vidarbha held on thanks to Nachiket Bhute, who took 5 for 48 and contributed with the bat. Sunil Kumar bagged four wickets as Jammu and Kashmir threatened to defend 78 against Vidarbha.
Kerala enforced a follow-on against Odisha after Vaisakh Chandran’s four-wicket haul bundled the visitors out for 225. In other news, Sagar Trivedi took four wickets to help Puducherry put pressure on Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya’s Abhishek Kumar claimed four wickets to secure a 103-run lead, though Manipur rallied with Jotin Pheiroijam’s own four-wicket haul to bowl the hosts out for 172. Sagar Trivedi celebrated his birthday with a four-fer for Puducherry as Madhya Pradesh lost five wickets for 19 runs on Day 3.
Nagaland continued their resistance against Mizoram with Sedezhalie Rupero remaining unbeaten on 108 and Yugandhar Singh contributing 98. Finally, Railways showcased a gritty batting effort against Rajasthan led by Bhargav Merai’s 73, alongside half-centuries from Eshaan Goyal and Ravi Singh. Staying unbeaten on 108 off 297 deliveries against Mizoram, sedezhalie Rupero put up a strong vigil. With Yugandhar Singh’s 98 equally critical in setting up the foundation, nagaland need 258 runs to enter the lead.
