Ranji Trophy: Shardul Thakur takes hat-trick, KL Rahul out for 26 on comeback

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Shardul Thakur, who hit a hundred for Mumbai earlier in January, took a hat-trick against Meghalaya in the final round of Ranji Trophy group stages. KL Rahul, meanwhile, was dismissed for 26 on his return to the tournament after 5 years.

In Short

• Shardul Thakur took a hat-trick for Mumbai against Meghalaya on Thursday
• The all-rounder had hit a hundred in Mumbai's previous match against J&K
• KL Rahul, meanwhile, failed to get going for Karnataka against Haryana in Bengaluru

Shardul Thakur continued his resurgent run in the Ranji Trophy, tearing through Meghalaya's batting order in the final round of the domestic tournament at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai on Thursday, 30 January. Shardul took a hat-trick, leaving Meghalaya reeling at 2 for 6 in this crucial contest, which will be key in determining Mumbai's chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

Shardul Thakur finished with figures of 4 for 43, bowling 11 overs, three of which were maidens. The Mumbai all-rounder secured his hat-trick as early as the second over of the contest after Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field.

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Shardul was getting the new ball to move prodigiously, leading the Mumbai attack in style. He dismissed left-hander Balchander Anirudh with a fuller-length delivery that swung into the gap between bat and pad, crashing into the stumps. He then claimed the wicket of Sumit Kumar, swinging the ball away from the right-hander and having him caught in the slip cordon.

The hat-trick ball also swung, forcing Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva to poke at one and get an inside edge onto the stumps. Shardul became the fifth Mumbai player to pick a hat-trick in Ranji Trophy.

Meghalaya were bundled out for 86 in 24.3 overs in the first innings.

Shardul triggered the Meghalayan collapse, taking a wicket in his first over by removing Nishanta Chakraborty for 0. Mohit Avasthi picked up three wickets, while Sylvester D'Souza claimed two. Spinner Shams Mulani also chipped in with a wicket.

Shardul waged a lone battle for Mumbai in their defeat to Jammu and Kashmir last week. When big names, including Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed, Shardul hit a sixty in the first innings and followed it up with a hundred in the second against J & K.

KL RAHUL FLOPS ON RETURN

Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, KL Rahul’s much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended in disappointment on a good batting pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Haryana.

As confirmed by coach Yere Goud, Rahul walked in to bat at No. 3 after openers Aneesh KV and Mayank Agarwal added 45 runs for the first wicket. KL Rahul scored 26 off 37 balls, hitting four boundaries. The star batter looked composed in the middle but was dismissed by Anshul Kamboj, who has been in fine form for Haryana this season.

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 54 runs for the second wicket before the former was dismissed.

Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal then extended Karnataka’s dominance over the Haryana bowlers, adding 62 runs for the third wicket. Mayank was intent on keeping the scoreboard moving, hitting three sixes and eight boundaries.

However, he missed out on a well-deserved century by nine runs, falling to Anuj Thakral in the 48th over. Following his dismissal, 21-year-old Ravichandran Smaran, who had struck a double hundred against Punjab in the previous round, joined Devdutt Padikkal in the middle after lunch.