3 months ago
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Karnataka’s 2025-26 Ranji Trophy play astatine erstwhile feels similar a occurrence and not so.
If 1 considers the side’s precarious presumption successful the past group-stage lucifer versus Punjab erstwhile it astir failed to suffice for the knockouts, a runner-up decorativeness feels similar a bonus.
But determination is besides a presumption that a full-strength, star-filled squad replete with Test players should person fared amended against a first-time finalist.
Regardless of however 1 sees it, the unvarnished information is that determination are nary casual teams successful the Ranji Trophy anymore, and pedigreed outfits — similar eight-time champion Karnataka — cannot instrumentality anyone lightly.
Especially not idiosyncratic similar Jammu & Kashmir, which had recorded outright wins implicit 5 past Ranji champions successful Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal.
The last laid bare 2 of Karnataka’s biggest lacunae — the deficiency of wound erstwhile pb spinner Shreyas Gopal has an off-day and the gait bowlers’ propensity to not beryllium persistent.
Overall Shreyas had a good season, with the 48 wickets his best-ever tally successful a azygous variation and the 469 runs helium made his third-best. But a spot much bowling enactment would person done Karnataka a satellite of good.
Left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty played 8 matches successful his debut run and took 22 wickets but astatine an mean of 42. Off-spinner Mohsin Khan featured successful 5 and claimed 15 scalps, but six of those wickets came successful 1 innings.
The encouraging fact, however, is that Shikhar is conscionable 20 and Mohsin 22, and some look precise coachable bowlers. It volition beryllium a travesty if the onshore with a large past of rotation allows them to drift.
In the pace-bowling department, it was not truthful overmuch astir prime but of methods. Prasidh Krishna, V. Vyshak, Vidwath Kaverappa and the fast-improving Vidyadhar Patil are susceptible men, but their nonaccomplishment to onslaught the stumps relentlessly proved their undoing.
“We request to astir apt amusement much discipline,” manager Yere Goud admitted. “If things are not going our way, tin we power the runs? In the 2nd innings [of J & K], we bowled that transmission consistently. It’s a learning.”
The batting whitethorn person failed successful the title-decider, but it was encouraging connected the whole.
R. Smaran, 22, stood retired with 950 chart-topping runs portion Karun Nair made 699 and Mayank Agarwal 678. K.L. Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal scored 470 and 543 respectively and played match-winning knocks against Mumbai (quarterfinals) and Punjab.
The existent trial volition beryllium erstwhile recently appointed skipper Padikkal and Rahul are called up for National work and replacements person to beryllium found.
There is nary dearth of talent. But Karnataka’s aboriginal volition beryllium shaped by however good it is harnessed.
