Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Opener: Jadeja and Shami Excel, Batters Falter
India's internationals returned to domestic red-ball cricket in the first round with sharply contrasting outcomes.
The opening round of the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 gave several Indian internationals a chance to log red-ball overs and find rhythm ahead of future assignments, though the returns varied widely from player to player.
Ravindra Jadeja turned in a strong all-round showing for Saurashtra against Chhattisgarh, hitting 102 from 209 deliveries for his 16th first-class hundred and later taking three wickets while conceding 40 runs across 17 overs in the first innings. Mohammed Shami was equally effective with the ball for Bengal against Delhi, claiming four for 30 in the first innings and adding one for 29 from 18 overs in the second to finish with five wickets in the match.
It was a different story for the batters. KL Rahul could manage only four and one across his two innings for Karnataka against Andhra. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a 13-ball duck for Mumbai against Chandigarh, even as his side completed an innings-and-155-run win. Sarfaraz Khan, also turning out for Mumbai, made just one run from six balls, and Sai Sudharsan too had a quiet outing with the bat.