Ranji Trophy: Upendra Yadav Shines with 95 as Delhi Trail Railways by 200 Runs
On a day when fans flooded the Arun Jaitley Stadium to catch a glimpse of Virat Kohli’s return to domestic cricket, it was wicketkeeper-batter Upendra Yadav who stole the spotlight with an excellent knock of 95 on Day One of the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways.
New Delhi: On a day when fans flooded the Arun Jaitley Stadium to catch a glimpse of Virat Kohli’s return to domestic cricket, it was wicketkeeper-batter Upendra Yadav who stole the spotlight with an excellent knock of 95 on Day One of the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways.
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Upendra Yadav’s Knock Steers Railways to 241
In the presence of selector Ajay Ratra, Upendra took charge on a greenish pitch with a solid defense and intelligent shot selection, compiling 95 runs off 177 balls, which included 10 fours and a six. He formed valuable partnerships with Karn Sharma (50 off 106 balls) and Himanshu Sangwan (29) to help Railways reach 241 all out in 67.4 overs.
For Delhi, pacers Navdeep Saini and spinner Sumit Mathur took three wickets each, while Siddhant Sharma and Money Grewal picked up two wickets apiece.
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Delhi’s Response and Early Breakthroughs
At the close of Day One, Delhi were 41/1 after 10 overs, trailing Railways by 200 runs. Openers Yash Dhull (17*) and Sanat Sangwan (9*) were at the crease. Delhi, electing to bowl first on a green pitch, made an early breakthrough in the second over when Siddhant Sharma trapped Anchit Yadav lbw.
Sharma then dismissed Suraj Ahuja with a top edge, and Navdeep Saini followed up with the dismissal of Vivek Singh for a duck. The crowd cheered as Delhi continued to apply pressure, reducing Railways to 66/5 with the key wickets of Mohammad Saif and Bhargav Merai falling to Money Grewal.
Upendra and Karn Stand Firm
Despite the early breakthroughs, Upendra and Karn Sharma showed resilience and defied the opposition with solid partnerships. At lunch, Railways were 87/5. In the afternoon session, both batsmen showed excellent application, with Upendra reaching his half-century without much fanfare, focused on the task at hand.
Karn played his part by reaching his half-century with a six over fine-leg off Saini. Unfortunately, Karn’s attacking shot led to his dismissal, caught in the deep by Yash Dhull off a brilliant relay catch. This led to a loud cheer from the crowd, and Kohli was the first to commend Dhull for his effort, which prompted chants of “Kohli, Kohli” throughout the stadium.
Upendra Falls Short of Century
The final session saw Upendra shift gears, attacking the bowlers while maintaining a steady rotation of the strike. However, just five runs short of a century, Upendra’s attempt to hit Sumit Mathur over long-off ended in a catch at deep mid-off for 95.
Railways’ innings was wrapped up when Sumit Mathur dismissed Himanshu Sangwan (29) and Rahul Sharma for ducks, leaving Railways all out for 241 in 67.4 overs.
Delhi’s Response Cut Short
Delhi’s chase started on a challenging note with Arpit Rana dismissed for 10 after edging behind to the keeper off Kunal Yadav. However, Dhull and Sangwan ensured that no further damage was done as they ended the day without further setbacks.
Brief Scores:
- Railways: 241 all out in 67.4 overs (Upendra Yadav 95, Karn Sharma 50; Sumit Mathur 3-20, Navdeep Saini 3-62)
- Delhi: 41/1 in 10 overs (Yash Dhull 17 not out; Kunal Yadav 1-28)
- Railways lead by 200 runs
