The opening day of the 2026/27 Ranji Trophy on October 11, 2026, delivered an utmost thrilling mix of batting masterclasses, wide range of spectacular bowling spells, and unexpected failures by heavy-weight India internationals. The Sunday was headlined by a sensational return to red-ball rhythm for India’s premier paceman Mohammed Shami.
Shami stole the show for Bengal
In Kalyani, all eyes were on Mohammed Shami as Bengal took on Delhi. The veteran fast bowler did not disappoint, delivering a masterclass in seam presentation and control to finish Day 1 with exceptional figures of 4/30 in 17.3 overs, including 9 tight maidens. Shami provided critical breakthroughs early on by removing former Delhi captain Yash Dhull cheap for 9, and later returned to wipe out a frustrating tail—dismissing Hrithik Shokeen (56) to bundle Delhi out for 240.
Meanwhile in Rajgir, Uttar Pradesh engineered a mammoth rescue act against Bihar. Reeling early on, UP found their saviours in Rinku Singh and Madhav Kaushik. The duo stitched a masterful, unbeaten 202-run partnership, with both batters smashing blistering centuries to propel their side to 287/3 at stumps. Rinku reached his milestone in 153 balls, while Kaushik anchored beautifully with a resilient ton.
Yash Rathod and Akshay Wadkar scored centuries for Vidarbha
In Nagpur, Vidarbha orchestrated an equally miraculous turnaround against Puducherry. Reduced to a precarious 54/5, the side was rescued by Yash Rathod (131 runs) and Akshay Wadkar (112 runs). The pair forged an extraordinary 246-run sixth-wicket partnership, both scoring centuries to steer Vidarbha to a position of command at 300/5.
Bowlers also dominated the narrative in Srinagar, where Jammu & Kashmir’s Rohit Sharma dismantled Madhya Pradesh with a clinical five-wicket haul to bundle out the visitors for 196. Rounding out the stellar batting displays, Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawne scored a brilliant 105 and Gaurav Choudhary hit an unbeaten 121 for Odisha, capping off a beautifully competitive opening day.
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