Thu Jan 23 12:18:53 UTC 2025: ## Ranji Trophy Underwhelms as Big Names Fail to Deliver
**Mumbai, India** – The much-anticipated return of several Indian cricket stars to the domestic circuit in the Ranji Trophy yielded disappointing results on Day 1. Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, collectively managed only 12 runs between them, a stark contrast to expectations.
While the big names struggled, other players shone. Aarya Desai of Gujarat grabbed nine wickets in an innings against Uttarakhand, while Khaleel Ahmed’s five-wicket haul for Rajasthan against Vidarbha bolstered his case for a Test recall. Tanmay Agarwal continued his excellent form, scoring his third century of the season and surpassing 700 runs, and 18-year-old Andre Siddarth notched his maiden first-class century for Tamil Nadu.
The match between Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Mumbai proved a particular focus, given Mumbai’s star-studded lineup and J&K’s strong current position in their group. J&K initially restricted Mumbai’s batting but later lost wickets in clusters, ending the day at 174/7. Mumbai’s innings, however, was also plagued by early collapses, with Rohit Sharma dismissed early and the team ending up on 120 runs.
Other key matches saw Karnataka take a commanding lead against Punjab (144 runs with 6 wickets remaining), while Saurashtra trailed Delhi by 25 runs, and Kerala were 106 runs behind Madhya Pradesh. Ravindra Jadeja provided a bright spot for Saurashtra with a quickfire 38.
Several prominent players missed the round due to injury or rest, including Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Virat Kohli’s absence from Delhi’s match against Saurashtra was also notable. The upcoming matches promise exciting contests, particularly Bengal vs. Haryana and Delhi vs. Saurashtra. The Ranji Trophy continues with the hope that the star players can find their form in the coming days.
First Piper 