An out-of-sorts Shrijith KL really needs to up the tempo when Karnataka take on Chandigarh in their fifth Ranji Trophy group clash in Hubballi from Sunday.
Credit: DH FILE PHOTO
Bengaluru: When Mayank Agarwal walks out to the middle for the toss at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi on Sunday, he’ll have a stiff challenge in hand: How to make the most of Karnataka’s second home game and take six points, if not seven.
However, one thing is for sure: It is not going to be easy. While Chandigarh have had a subpar showing so far in their four Elite Group B Ranji Trophy matches with just a solitary point next to their name, they do possess good players in their armoury, including Manan Vohra, Nishank Birla and Vishu Kashyap, among others, who can give Karnataka a run for their money in their own backyard.
This season, Karnataka have majorly relied on Karun Nair (503 runs) and Shreyas Gopal (228 runs & 17 wickets) to lead the way, managing to pocket 14 points in four games. With some crucial matches against Madhya Pradesh and Punjab still to be played in the group, they will look to capitalise on a wobbly Chandigarh side.
Karnataka’s trump card for this game and beyond is their solid middle-order, in which Karun, Smaran R and Abhinav Manohar have already performed starring roles.
The bowling attack also seems to be well-oiled and functioning smoothly. After a long injury lay-off, Vidwath Kaverappa has been firing on all cylinders.
With Abhilash Shetty being offered the responsibility of the new ball, the left-arm seamer has also been relatively effective.
However, the main cause of concern for Karnataka will be runs from their top-order, not named Agarwal. While the skipper’s opening partners (Nikin Jose and Aneesh KV) have been involved in a bit of a musical chair, courtesy of form, Shrijith KL’s inconsistency at a crucial No. 3 spot has not been of great help either.
While both Aneesh and Shrijith are expected to get a longer rope, they will hope to repay the faith shown by the selectors.
A batting-friendly surface probably awaits the teams in Hubballi and the hosts’ only expected change would be Shikhar Shetty for M Ventakesh, if the surface is slightly on the drier side.
Karnataka’s last meeting with Chandigarh was in February 2024, also in Hubballi. The hosts managed to walk away with just three points on the back of an all-round show from Vyshak Vijaykumar, but will be withouts his services.
On the other hand, Chandigarh can take some consolation from the fact that they have shown glimpses of promise in their four games so far.
Squads: Karnataka: Mayank Agarwal (capt), Nikin Jose, Karun Nair, Smaran R, Shrijith KL, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, Vidwath Kaverappa, Abhilash Shetty, Ventakesh M, Kruthik Krishna, Mohsin Khan, Shikhar Shetty, Aneesh KV, Vidyadhar Patil
Chandigarh: Manan Vohra (capt), Amrit Lubana, Nikhil Thakur, Shivam Bhambari, Arjit Singh, Arjun Azad, Taranpreet Singh, Vishnu Kashyap, Gaurav Puri, Anirudh Kanwar, Jagjit Singh, Mohit Soni, Raj Bawa, Ankit Kaushik, Nishunk Birla
Other Group B fixtures: Punjab vs Maharashtra (New Chandigarh); Madhya Pradesh vs Kerala (Indore); Saurashtra vs Goa (Rajkot)