Ranji Trophy: Day 1 Ends with Railways at 241, Delhi at 41/1
Delhi in Control After Restricting Railways to 241 Runs
New Delhi, January 30 The Ranji Trophy clash between Delhi and Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium saw an eventful first day, with Delhi finishing at 41/1 after bowling out Railways for 241 runs in their first innings. Openers Sanat Sangwan (9 off 28 balls) and Yash Dhull (17 off 25 balls) remained unbeaten at the close of play, ensuring Delhi ended the day in a steady position.
Railways Crumble Despite Upendra Yadav’s Resilient 95
Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that quickly paid off as Railways got off to a poor start, losing their first three wickets for just 21 runs.
- Anchit Yadav (7) and captain Suraj Ahuja (14) failed to build a strong foundation.
- Vivek Singh was dismissed without scoring, putting Railways in deep trouble.
- Mohammad Saif (24) and Bhargav Merai (0) also fell cheaply, leaving Railways struggling at 66/5.
At this point, wicketkeeper-batsman Upendra Yadav and spinner Karn Sharma stitched together a crucial partnership, dragging Railways past 150 runs.
- Karn Sharma contributed a crucial 50 off 105 balls, stabilizing the innings before getting dismissed.
- Upendra Yadav fell just short of a century, scoring 95 runs off 177 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and a six before getting out.
- Himanshu Sangwan added a valuable 29 runs, helping Railways post 241 runs in 67.4 overs.
Delhi Bowlers Shine with Strong Performances
Delhi’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, led by:
- Navdeep Saini (3 wickets)
- Sumit Mathur (3 wickets)
- Siddhant Sharma (2 wickets)
- Mani Grewal (2 wickets)
Their combined effort ensured Railways couldn’t capitalize on Upendra Yadav’s knock, bundling them out before crossing the 250-run mark.
Delhi Off to a Steady Start Despite Early Blow
In reply, Delhi’s batting lineup had a cautious start but lost their first wicket at 11 runs, when Arpit Rana departed for 10 runs.
By stumps, Delhi stood at 41/1, with:
- Sanat Sangwan (9)*
- Yash Dhull (17)*
Railways’ Himanshu Sangwan picked up the only wicket of the innings so far.
Virat Kohli’s Presence Draws Massive Crowd
The stadium witnessed an overwhelming crowd, primarily due to the return of Virat Kohli to Ranji Trophy after more than a decade. The last time he played in the tournament was in November 2012, making his presence a major attraction for fans.
During the match, an enthusiastic fan breached security, ran onto the field, and touched Kohli’s feet before being escorted out by security personnel. The incident quickly went viral on social media, reflecting the immense craze for Kohli among his supporters.
Match Outlook: Can Delhi Dominate?
With nine wickets in hand and a modest first-innings target of 241, Delhi will aim to take control on Day 2. The focus will be on Yash Dhull and the middle order, while Railways will look to strike early breakthroughs to stay in the contest.
Ranji Trophy: Day 1 Ends with Railways at 241, Delhi at 41/1
