Kerala bowled out Gujarat for 455, creating a match-defining margin of two runs to take a huge stride towards reaching the Ranji Trophy final.
Before this, Gujarat's teen batting star Jaymeet Patel held firm against intense pressure in his debut First-Class season to bring his team nearer to Kerala's first-innings score with a rearguard action on Day 4 in the Ranji Trophy semifinal at Narendra Modi Stadium.

🚨 A FINAL'S ENTRY BY BAREST OF MARGIN IN RANJI TROPHY. 🚨

- Kerala for the first time in 74 years history have qualified for the Ranji Final by just 2 runs lead. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ClCjik4cBn

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 21, 2025

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This year, Jaymeet, Gujarat's top run-getter, entered with the hosts struggling under a middle-order collapse led by Kerala's experienced off-spinner Jalaj Saxena. Rather than crumbling under pressure, however, he played the game out, stitching together vital partnerships with Vishal Jayswal and Siddharth Desai. His cautious approach helped Gujarat continue to chip away at the deficit, leaving it poised for a nerve-wracking finish where each run would be precious.
Gujarat's prospects of first innings lead were rocked in the morning session earlier in the day when Manan Hingrajia was given out by a debatable third-umpire decision, five overs into the morning session. The replays indicated the ball hitting his bat and pad nearly in unison, but the referral went against him to Kerala's benefit, having him return to the pavilion for 33.

India's star pacer Shardul Thakur is representing Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. The top player has not been provided with a spot in the Indian team for the Champions Trophy. Shardul is, however, set to represent the Essex team in the County Championship soon. Shardul's return can be useful for him to regain a spot in the Indian team.

🚨 SHARDUL THAKUR TO COUNTY CRICKET 🚨

- Essex is set to sign Shardul Thakur for this county season. [Nisarg Naik]

Huge boost for him ahead of the England Test series. pic.twitter.com/czMp7r7On4

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 18, 2025

Shardul Thakur Representation to India :
Shardul Thakur was the last of them when he represented India in Tests and ODIs in 2023. But he didn't perform well. He wasn't included in the Indian squad for being out of form. But Shardul also played for India in ICC tournaments during 2023. Shardul was part of the Indian team in World Test Championship 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023. It is tough now to think of his return to the Indian team. He is playing for Mumbai in domestic cricket now. Shardul is also playing in the current semi-final match being conducted against Vidarbha on behalf of Mumbai.

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Performance in Ranji Trophy :
Shardul has played his best ever in the Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai. Speaking about the last 3 matches, he has stunned everyone with bat and ball. He has picked 19 wickets in the last 3 matches, besides this, while batting in the last 3 matches, he has made 2 half-centuries besides 1 century. But by featuring in the County Championship, he will be in a position to market himself for a return to the Indian Test team since the Indian team will travel to England to play a 5-match Test series following IPL 2025. In the event that Shardul performs exceptional cricket in the County Championship overseas, then he could get noticed by the Indian selectors.

Career of Shardul Thakur:

Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube came up with an amazing bowling display in the Ranji Trophy semi-final, taking a vital five-wicket haul. His brilliant spell enabled Mumbai to strengthen their hold on the match, leaving them in a position of authority against Vidarbha.

FIVE-WICKET HAUL FOR SHIVAM DUBE IN RANJI TROPHY SEMI-FINAL. 💛

- What a fantastic bowling performance by Dube in the big stage. pic.twitter.com/0fNYnzBIAC

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 18, 2025

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Dube, who was best known for his aggressive batting, proved that he is all-rounder with the ball on the grand stage as well. His composed bowling frustrated the batting order of Vidarbha, snapping major partnerships and keeping Mumbai in charge.

Mumbai, who are chasing another Ranji Trophy title, would need Dube's all-rounder qualities to be instrumental in their bid for the championship.

Cricket experts as well as fans have appreciated the work of Dube, and his confidence level will be through the roof when he continues with the rest of the tournament. Will he keep on doing his heroics and take Mumbai to triumph? Only time will tell that!

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been sidelined for the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha with left ankle pain. The game is to be staged in Nagpur tomorrow.
Jaiswal, in top form, will now undergo rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru .His loss is a huge blow to Mumbai, as he has been their go-to player in the tournament.
The management of the Mumbai team will now need to find a replacement for the space created by Jaiswal's injury. Teammates and fans will be looking forward to his speedy recovery so that he can join the game as soon as possible.

🚨 NO JAISWAL IN RANJI SEMIS. 🚨

- Yashasvi Jaiswal has been ruled out of the Ranji Trophy Semi Final due to ankle pain. (Gaurav Gupta/TOI). pic.twitter.com/bbFTvdSlOg

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 16, 2025

The Stage For The Semi-Final is to begin :

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Topping Group A with six victories from seven encounters, Vidarbha, the dark horse of the tournament, enters the semi-final. Karun Nair and the pace of Umesh Yadav have driven Vidarbha, winning on home soil. Atharva Taide and Dhruv Shorey have been the stalwarts of their batting order, and spinner Aditya Sarwate is a worry for the opposition on Nagpur's spin-friendly pitch.

Mumbai, though, has a counter in the left-arm spin of Shams Mulani and Rahane's experience, whose leadership will prove instrumental in coping with the pressure.

Sheldon Jackson Announces His Retirement from Professional Cricket

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson has announced his retirement from professional cricket. He did so after Saurashtra recently exited the Ranji Trophy. His decision has thus sealed what has been a tremendous 15-year run in domestic cricket, with Sheldon Jackson emerging as one of the most consistent performers on the Indian circuit.

Sheldon Jackson has announced his retirement from professional cricket.

- He scored over 7,000 runs in First Class cricket at an average of 46. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Q8xhoYqQTO

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 11, 2025

A Stalwart in First-Class Cricket
Jackson played 106 First-Class matches, with an aggregate score of 7,283 runs at an average of 45.80. He scored 21 centuries and 39 half-centuries; thus, anchoring innings and match-winning knocks are testament to his outstanding cricketing skill. His performances helped Saurashtra become one of the most formidable teams in the domestic circuit.
Important Contributions towards Saurashtra
One of Jackson's most memorable games was the Vijay Hazare Trophy final held in 2022, which he played after scoring an unbeaten 133-run knock as Saurashtra won the championship. He always proved to be a great leadership figure and with his experience for the team had been very handy in winning years after years of matches, earning him respect inside the dressing room.

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IPL and Limited Overs Career
He also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in which he represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Though opportunity in top format came to him rarely, he proved himself every time. In January 2025, he announced his retirement from limited-overs formats for playing First-Class cricket only. And now, with the end of Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy campaign, he has decided not to play further in all formats of the game.

Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane played a very good innings and scored a hundred in his Quarter-final match of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 against Haryana. Batted very sensibly to reach his 41st first-class ton off a mere 160 balls with as many as 12 fours in the inning, which suggests Mumbai would be well-positioned throughout the game and hints Rahane was an expert in his trade with a lot of experience. 

A Crucial Performance by Mumbai
Mumbai was in a must-win situation and Rahane reached his century at the right time. Mumbai was in need of seniors to perform and Rahane did what was required at the top of his department. His calm and composure under pressure ensured that Mumbai trounced Haryana in the match

To BCCI Selectors
With that wonderful century Rahane has done you smell, BCCI selectors get back to the drawing board in terms of considering him fit for bigger tallers. Ahead of the India vs England Test series, the performance of Rahane might be of interest to national team selectors.

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HUNDRED FOR AJINKYA RAHANE..!!!! 🌟

- He smashed a brilliant Hundred from 160 balls for Mumbai in this Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal. pic.twitter.com/S5Jl8gwOY3

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) February 11, 2025

A little about Rahane's Test Experience
Ajinkya Rahane has been a notable player for the Indian Test team for some years now He has performed excellently and he is playing game-changing innings, his heart-burning centuries in Australia and England mainly. The nature of his batting style helps him to do well whenever it really matters 

Is Rahane Coming Back to Team India?
The Test series against England will begin in June 2026 and last until August 2025, with five matches. It is obvious, that the selectors are looking for a few more experienced players who can adapt to favorable conditions. Rahane, with his form in the Ranji trophy, is further strengthening his case for a national comeback. His selection would provide India's middle order some depth and consistency.

Suryakumar Yadav, is ready to appear in the Ranji Trophy 2025 quarter-final match against Haryana.He will be the one to give Mumbai the necessary aggressive batting needed to set the tone for the innings.

On other side Shivam Dube's performance will come in Mumbai plays at upcoming quarter-final match against Haryana. 

Mumbai Road to quarter-finals

Mumbai have qualified for the quarter-finals by completing the league stage second in their group, and a match lost  to Jammu and Kashmir. Dominating performances in the league stage, with a much  win against Meghalaya, secured Mumbai a spot in the knockouts. Yadav and Dube are expected to help Mumbai to win its 42nd Ranji Trophy title.

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Match Details:

• Fixture: Mumbai vs Haryana – Ranji Trophy Quarter-Final
• Date: February 8, 2025
• Venue: Eden Gardens , Kolkata, West Bengal
• Time: 9:30 AM IST

Suryakumar Yadav preparing for the Ranji Quarters. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/XEue2UMeh7

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 7, 2025

Live Stream and Telecast:

• TV: Watch live on Sports18.
• Online: Free streaming on JioCinema (app & website).
• International: Can be watch in sports channels like Willow TV (USA), Sky Sports (UK), Fox Sports (Australia).
• Updates: Follow BCCI’s social media for live scores and highlights.

Exceptation from the match:

Lahli pitch is known to help the bowler mainly pacer. Mumbai strong batsmen, including Yadav, Dube, and skipper Ajinkya Rahane, would take  Haryana's bowling attack. For Haryana, facing the match would like to win and entry the semi-finals.

It's going to be a highly charged knockout pressure situation, with players returning, which promises this quarter-final to be an exciting contest.

Why Indian Cricketers Do Not Play Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy is the topmost domestic first-class cricket tournament of India, and from it, most quality players for the national team emerge. Yet, most of India's leading cricketers, particularly those in the national team, rarely watch Ranji matches. A question comes forth—isn't this an important reason why Indian cricketers do not take part in Ranji Trophy actively?

There are a few very significant reasons behind this trend:

1. Packed International Schedule
India is one of the most happening cricketing countries, with matches going on almost throughout the year. The national team plays all formats Test matches, ODIs, and T20 Internationals, which leaves no time for domestic cricket.
Example:
India played 48 international matches in 2023. It is quite challenging for the players to find time for the domestic competitions.
The 2024-2025 cricket season has several ICC tournaments, bilateral series, and the Indian Premier League (IPL), which makes the schedule even tighter.
Most of the top cricketers cannot play in Ranji Trophy matches because of this.

2. Workload Management and Injuries
To avoid injuries and workload management, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management always suggest that the key players should take a break. Long tours and continuous matches along with traveling put enormous pressure on cricket players.

Recently, Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, and Shivam Dube have been rested from Ranji matches due to the workload.
Fast bowlers are rarely allowed to play domestic matches in order to their chances of playing key international series by incurring injuries.
This translates to advice that players should simply not play as often in domestic matches even if they are fit.
3. The Impact of the Indian Premier League
The IPL has transformed cricket in India. For most cricketers, T20 league cricket has become a favorite since the competition launched in 2008.

The tournament provides massive financial gains, which is a big draw for the players.
Young cricketers focus more on IPL performances than Ranji Trophy to get noticed.
Some players avoid Ranji Trophy to remain fresh for the IPL season.
The influence of the IPL has been so strong that even some young talents prefer playing T20s over first-class cricket.
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4. Established Players Don't Need Ranji Trophy
Many senior players, who have played regularly in Team India, need no further proof in domestic cricket. They are all set for the national team.
Example:
Virat Kohli played only two first-class games other than Test cricket, in the last 12 years.
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah hardly turn up to play Ranji Trophy.
Because selection to the national team now more or less rides on their IPL and India A performances, seniors often miss Ranji games.

5. Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery
The other significant reason the cricketer misses the Ranji Trophy is due to injury recovery. International cricket is an arduous sport and requires a lot of time and rest for a player to recover after a long series.
Example:
Hardik Pandya has not played red-ball cricket since 2018 due to back issues.
Jasprit Bumrah missed Ranji Trophy while recovering from his stress fracture.
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant focused on rehab after injuries instead of playing Ranji matches.
When players are injured, their main priority is to get fit for international cricket rather than domestic tournaments.
6. BCCI’s Policy on Domestic Cricket
The BCCI has strict policies regarding participation in domestic cricket. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah made it clear in 2023 that centrally contracted players need to play in domestic cricket when they are not on national duty.
Players who don't take their domestic matches seriously may face such selections.
The board wants young players to play in the Ranji Trophy to gain experience in red-ball cricket.
Even with these guidelines, top cricketers miss many Ranji Trophy matches as they have other commitments.

The Ranji Trophy has been one of the pinnacle stones of the Indian Cricket Team. It acted as the gateway to discovering talented Indian cricketers who have created a long-lasting impact on the cricket world's landscape. Currently, this tournament has come under the spotlight for many reasons, specifically related to the current Indian cricket team campaigners who are relying on this red-ball tournament to polish and revamp their game after a string of consecutive mediocre performances.

The prominent example is Virat Kohli, who is all set to make a comeback for his home side, Delhi, over 12 years, in tomorrow's Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match. Not just him, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja have been among those who have used the Ranji Trophy as a platform to fine-tune their game. Though the examples mentioned above have been spectacular in this domestic platform, a few players have shown their top-class match in this format but didn't get a chance to don the Indian Cricket Team jersey. That said, here we look at the five players who have seen this scenario.

Ranji Trophy, India's prominent domestic First-Class tournament, is widely regarded as the pathway to the Indian squad for all aspiring cricketers across the country. In every period, Indian cricket has been blessed with brilliant cricketers from all game sectors. However, as the saying goes, skill alone will not allow a cricketer to thrive in life. To succeed in international cricket, in addition to skill, one must have the appropriate temperament, luck, and support from team management and selectors. 

Recently, prominent players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja have been among those who have used the Ranji Trophy as a platform to fine-tune their game. This article focuses on five players who rose to popularity via their Ranji Trophy performances. Still, when given the opportunity to play on the international stage, they could not unleash their full potential, leading them to get neglected by the Indian squad.