Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy highlights: J&K stun Mumbai by 5 wickets; Karnataka crush Punjab

Punjab skipper and opener Shubman Gill showcased his class with a brilliant century, scoring 102, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his team from suffering an innings defeat against Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy Group C encounter on Saturday. Resuming on 7 overnight, Gill added 95 runs on the third day to compile his 102 off 171 balls, laced with 14 fours and three sixes. His innings featured a patient first fifty off 119 deliveries, followed by a rapid second fifty in just 40 balls.


Gill was the eighth batter to fall in Punjab’s second innings after they conceded a massive first-innings deficit of 420 runs.

Punjab's struggles began in their dismal first innings, where they were bowled out for a mere 55, with Gill contributing just 4 runs. At the close of the second day, they were 24 for 2 in 13 overs, staring at an uphill battle.

Ultimately, Punjab folded for 213 in 63.4 overs in their second innings, succumbing to an innings-and-207-run loss.

Karnataka, powered by Ravichandran Smaran’s maiden first-class double century (203), had earlier piled up 475 in 122.1 overs. They earned seven points, including a bonus point, for their commanding innings victory.

Pacer Yashovardhan Parantap and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal shone for Karnataka in the second innings, claiming three wickets apiece to seal the win.

For Gill, this century was a much-needed boost following a disappointing run in the recent five-match Test series in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 25-year-old managed just 93 runs in five innings across three Tests, with a highest score of 31 and an average of 18.60. After being dropped for the fourth Test, Gill returned for the final match in place of skipper Rohit Sharma but could only muster scores of 20 and 13.

For the second day running, Delhi’s batters — including Rishabh Pant — had no answer to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The 36-year-old took 7/38 in the second innings to add to his 5/66 in the first to skittle out the visitors for a paltry 94 in their second innings.

Saurashtra, who had taken a lead of 83 runs in the first innings, scored the 12 needed for a bonus point win in 3.1 overs in their Ranji Trophy Group D clash at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Friday.

The triumph took the hosts to 18 points and third position in the group. A victory against Assam in their last league clash beginning here next Thursday will brighten their chances of making it to the quarterfinal.

As for Delhi, they will next play Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Jadeja’s wickets on Friday again included that of Rishabh Pant, who fell for 17 in the second innings after having scored one run in the first. So poor were Delhi’s batters that Pant was the second-highest run-scorer for the team.

Badoni and Pant added 42 runs for the fifth wicket with the former employing sweep and reverse sweep to negate the spinners. Badoni (44 off 55b; 4x5) was the last man out while attempting to score quick runs, leaving Saurashtra needing just 12 runs to win, which they completed with ease.

Saurashtra, who resumed their first innings at 163/5 in 38.5 overs, added 43 runs in the morning before Prerak Mankad (19) was caught by Rishabh Pant off Ayush Badoni’s bowling.

Mankad had a reprieve on two when he was dismissed off a no-ball.