The 92nd season of the Ranji Trophy got underway on October 11, with defending champions Jammu and Kashmir opening their first title defence against Madhya Pradesh in Srinagar, part of a bumper opening round that doubled as a trial run for several India Test regulars ahead of a looming tour of New Zealand.
A new format, a packed round one
This season’s tournament runs across 32 teams split into four Elite groups of eight, alongside a separate six-team Plate group, with round one featuring 19 matches — 16 in the Elite division and three in the Plate group. The first phase of the Elite Division runs from October 11 through November 5, before a long break and a resumption in mid-January, with the knockout rounds and final not scheduled until late February 2027 — a format built to accommodate India’s increasingly dense international calendar.
Rahul’s mixed day for Karnataka
KL Rahul, representing Karnataka against Andhra in Vijayawada, fell early for just four runs as his side slipped to 9 for 3, a sobering start given his status as a Test opener. Karnataka recovered through fifties from R. Smaran and K.L. Shrijith before eventually being bowled out for 274, with Smaran going on to make 126. Andhra, in reply, finished day two strongly placed at 331 for 6, built on an unbeaten 108 from Seeram Rahul and 97 from Revanth Reddy, putting the home side ahead on first-innings runs heading into day three.
Jadeja’s effortless century
Ravindra Jadeja, playing for Saurashtra against Chhattisgarh in Rajkot, showed considerably more fluency, converting an overnight 72 not out into his 16th first-class century en route to a Saurashtra total of 392, with Prerak Mankad also contributing 129. Chhattisgarh closed the second day at 122 for 3, anchored by Anuj Tiwary’s unbeaten 72, leaving the match delicately poised but with Saurashtra clearly in the stronger position.
A hat-trick overshadows Jaiswal’s duck
At the Wankhede Stadium, Yashasvi Jaiswal endured a forgettable outing for Mumbai, dismissed for a 13-ball duck against Chandigarh, while teammate Sarfaraz Khan also fell cheaply for just one run. Mumbai’s middle order rescued the innings regardless, with Siddhesh Lad and Musheer Khan both making well-constructed half-centuries as the hosts built a commanding total. The bowling story of the match, though, belonged to Tushar Deshpande, who took five wickets including a hat-trick to bowl Chandigarh out cheaply in their second innings, putting Mumbai in a near-unassailable position.
Why this round carries extra weight
With India’s tour of New Zealand beginning October 22 and a Test series to follow from November 19, round one of the Ranji Trophy effectively doubled as an audition for places in and around the senior Test squad. Selectors will have watched closely how established names like Rahul and Jadeja responded under scrutiny, as well as how fringe contenders performed against each other — the kind of domestic form that has, in recent seasons, directly shaped India’s next touring squad.
Defending champions under early pressure
Jammu and Kashmir’s own title defence got off to an uneven start, with the reigning champions bowled out for a modest 120 before Madhya Pradesh were themselves dismissed for 196 in reply — a low-scoring opening exchange that leaves the defending champions needing a strong second-innings showing to avoid an upset start to their title defence in front of a home crowd in Srinagar.
What’s next
Round one concludes October 14, with the Elite groups continuing their league phase through early November before the long winter break imposed by India’s international calendar. For now, the round has delivered exactly what a long domestic season is designed to produce: form guides for the selectors, warning signs for a defending champion, and a reminder that Ranji Trophy cricket remains the proving ground through which India’s next wave of Test cricketers continues to emerge.
A long road to the knockouts
With the tournament’s revised two-phase format pushing the business end of the season into the new year, round one results will matter less in isolation than the cumulative form players show across the entire Elite group phase running through November 5. For now, though, the round has delivered exactly the kind of mixed signals selectors will want to track — a struggling Rahul, a serene Jadeja, and a defending champion already under pressure less than three days into defending its title.
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