Maharashtra suffered the worst start to their innings in this edition of Ranji Trophy as four batsmen were dismissed for a duck. Sanju Samson got off to a flying start, smacking Jalaj over the midwicket fence for a six.
In the Kerala Cricket Team Vs Maharashtra Cricket Team match, the opener was soon out for a golden duck, caught by Saurabh Nawale off MD Nidheesh.
| No. | Player name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammed Azharuddeen (C, WK) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 2 | Baba Aparajith | All-rounder |
| 3 | Sanju Samson | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 4 | Sachin Baby | Batter |
| 5 | MD Nidheesh | Bowler |
| 6 | Akshay Chandran | All-rounder |
| 7 | Rohan Kunnummal | Batter |
| 8 | Ankit Sharma | All-rounder |
| 9 | Eden Apple Tom | Bowler |
| 10 | Nedumankuzhy Basil | Bowler |
| 11 | Salman Nizar | Batter |
| 12 | Vathsal Govind | Batter |
| 13 | Shoun Roger | All-rounder |
| 14 | Ahammed Imran | Batter |
Source: Kerala’s 2025–26 Ranji Trophy squad.
The Indian Express
+1
2. Maharashtra Cricket Team players
| No. | Player name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankit Bawne (C) | Batter |
| 2 | Prithvi Shaw | Batter |
| 3 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batter |
| 4 | Saurabh Nawale (WK) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 5 | Jalaj Saxena | All-rounder |
| 6 | Rajneesh Gurbani | Bowler |
| 7 | Vicky Ostwal | Bowler |
| 8 | Siddhesh Veer | All-rounder |
| 9 | Mukesh Choudhary | Bowler |
| 10 | Arshin Kulkarni | All-rounder |
| 11 | Ramakrishna Ghosh | All-rounder |
| 12 | Mandar Bhandari | Wicketkeeper |
| 13 | Pradeep Dadhe | Bowler |
| 14 | Hitesh Walunj | Bowler |
| 15 | Siddharth Mhatre | Batter |
| 16 | Harshal Kate | Batter |
Ranji Trophy 2025/26
India’s premier domestic first-class tournament, the Ranji Trophy, gets underway on October 15. The season will run through January 22 next year. The competition is divided into two phases, with relegation and promotion taking place in between. The competition will be decided by the number of points accumulated over the course of five rounds.
Kerala will be desperate to avoid a wooden spoon and maintain the momentum generated by their stunning performance last time out, when they finished runners-up in Elite Group C. But the highs of that achievement will feel like a distant memory if they lose to Maharashtra and other results go against them.
Despite the loss of several key players, the team has enough quality to go all the way. In fact, it has won the most trophies in history with 42, including a 15-year streak from 1958 to 1973.
The competition is also a feeder to the Indian Test team, and a good showing in it can be a stepping stone to international success. It also helps decide the best eleven of the season, which will play a one-off match against the Rest of India side. It is that prestige that motivates some of the country’s finest batsmen.
Kerala vs. Maharashtra
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Maharashtra lost three wickets before they could even open their account. Prithvi Shaw was the first to go as he was trapped LBW by MD Nidheesh. Siddhesh Veer didn’t last much longer as he was caught behind for a golden duck.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Saurabh Nawale tried to revive the innings, but it was in vain as Nidheesh picked up another wicket trapping them LBW for 12(23).
Kerala, meanwhile, made a good start to their campaign with a fine bowling performance. Category A retentions Sharafuddeen NM and Abhishek J Nair are joined by Rs 7 lakh buy Ajnas M in the side, which is geared towards a bowling-first approach.
First Session
When Maharashtra batted first in this game, it looked like the team could set a new record for the most ducks in an innings. The team lost the wickets of Prithvi Shaw, Siddhesh Veer and Arshin Kulkarni in the very first over. And the last man standing for the team was Justin Greaves, who got out on a golden duck to Nedumankuzhy Basil.
However, a good recovery by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jalaj Saxena helped the team to save what could have been a massive collapse for them. By the end of the first session, the score stood at 81/5. Kerala was ahead by a huge margin.
Second Session
A lot of people were expecting Maharashtra to put up a good show this time, especially after they performed well in their practice match.
But their hopes were shattered when they got a terrible start to the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 against Kerala. In the first session, they had a bad collapse with four batsmen getting out for a duck. MD Nidheesh was the first one to get out, followed by Prithvi Shaw and Siddhesh Veer in quick succession.
However, they managed to pull themselves out of the mess with some brilliant batting from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jalaj Saxena. They now stand at 81/5.
Third Session
In the Kerala Cricket Team Vs Maharashtra Cricket Team match, Kerala was on a strong footing after the first session, taking five wickets in quick succession. This helped them gain a significant advantage.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra suffered a major setback as four batsmen were dismissed for a golden duck, marking a disappointing start to their Ranji Trophy 2025/26 campaign. Maharashtra stood at 81/5 and needed a strong recovery to get back into the match.
Also Read : Kerala Cricket Team Vs Maharashtra Cricket Team Players
