Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his blazing red-hot form with a classy century, guiding Maharashtra to a solid 313 all out against Chandigarh on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B encounter on Saturday.
After early blows that saw Prithvi Shaw (8) and Siddesh Veer (7) depart cheaply, Gaikwad took charge with trademark fluency, crafting 116 off 163 balls — a knock laced with 15 boundaries.
The skipper found strong support from Saurabh Nawale (66) and young gun Arshin Kulkarni (50 off 55), as Maharashtra recovered through a key 152-run stand for the fifth wicket between Gaikwad and Nawale.
Left-arm spinner Raman Bishnoi broke the partnership, striking twice in quick succession to remove Nawale and Jalaj Saxena, while medium pacers Jagjit Singh (3/79) and Abhishek Saini (3/55) kept Chandigarh in the contest.
Karun Nair Steadies Karnataka with Unbeaten 86
At Shimoga, Karun Nair continued his comeback story with an assured 86 not out, steering Karnataka to 222/5 against Goa.
Returning after two seasons, Nair looked in control throughout, adding an unbroken 94-run stand with Shreyas Gopal (48)* to steady the innings after early wobbles.
Left-arm pacer Arjun Tendulkar impressed for Goa, picking up 3/47.
Chirag Jani, Jadeja Power Saurashtra vs MP
In Rajkot, opener Chirag Jani’s gritty 82 off 138 helped Saurashtra reach 258/8 against Madhya Pradesh.
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja contributed 36 with four fours and a six before falling to Kumar Kartikeya, who starred for MP with 4/84.
Harnoor Singh’s Ton Holds Punjab Together
At New Chandigarh, opener Harnoor Singh showed remarkable patience with a fine 126 off 259 balls, taking Punjab to 240/6 against Kerala.
The left-hander held firm even as wickets fell at the other end, with Nedumankuzhy Basil (2/44) being the pick of Kerala’s attack.
Brief Scores
Maharashtra 313 all out in 85.5 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 116, Saurabh Nawale 66, Arshin Kulkarni 50; Abhishek Saini 3/55, Jagjit Singh 3/79) vs Chandigarh.
Karnataka 222/5 in 69 overs (Karun Nair 86*, Shreyas Gopal 48*; Arjun Tendulkar 3/47) vs Goa.
Saurashtra 258/8 in 82.3 overs (Chirag Jani 82, Ravindra Jadeja 36; Kumar Kartikeya 4/84) vs Madhya Pradesh.
Punjab 240/6 in 87 overs (Harnoor Singh 126; Nedumankuzhy Basil 2/44) vs Kerala.
(with PTI inputs)
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