Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Updates: Tamil Nadu defeated Saurashtra, captained by Cheteshwar Pujara, by an innings and 70 runs in their first game of the Ranji Trophy 2024–25 season.
Tamil Nadu’s spinners, especially left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh, destroyed the strong Saurashtra batting lineup in the Coimbatore Stadium encounter, setting the stage for an outstanding victory in Elite Group D.
Match Scorecard
Saurashtra 203 & 94 all out in 40.4 overs (Sheldon Jackson 38, Arpit Vasvada 22; Gurpanjeet Singh 6-22, Sonu Yadav 3-29) lost to Tamil Nadu 367 all out in 121.3 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 100, Sai Sudarshan 82; Jaydev Undakat 6-61; Yuvrajsinh Dodiya 2-59) by inning and 70 runs.
Ambala-born left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh took six wickets to bowl out the visitors for just 94 runs in their second innings at the Coimbatore Stadium, giving Tamil Nadu a 70-run victory over Saurashtra in Elite Group D to start the Ranji Trophy 2024–25 season. As Gurjapneet ripped through their renowned batting lineup, Saurashtra, a dominant force in domestic cricket, had no response.
In addition to important middle-order batsmen like Chirag Jani, Arpit Vasavada, and Prerak Mankad, his outstanding 14-5-22-6 stats included the vital dismissals of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson.
When Tamil Nadu’s bowlers held Saurashtra to 203 in the first innings, the groundwork for their overwhelming triumph was established. The batsmen of Tamil Nadu responded by taking the lead, with a century from Narayan Jagadeesan. With a strong 82 from Sai Sudharsan and 49 from Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Tamil Nadu was able to score an impressive 367.
When Saurashtra came out to bat again, they were clearly under pressure. Gurjapneet struck early, removing Cheteshwar Pujara for a six-ball duck. Despite efforts from the ground staff to recover the pitch after heavy rainfall, the conditions proved favourable for Tamil Nadu’s seamers, and Gurjapneet took full advantage.
Saurashtra’s batting collapse handed Tamil Nadu a massive innings victory, securing all seven points from the game. The win marks an ideal start for the team as they set their sights on their next match against Delhi on October 18.