Bengal began their Ranji Trophy Group C campaign on a winning note, thrashing Delhi by nine wickets after bowling out the visitors for 277 in their second innings and chasing down a target of 89 on the fourth and final day on Wednesday. Resuming their second innings at 101 for three, Delhi managed 277 in 106.2 overs, with captain Ayush Badoni top-scoring with a gritty 85 off 134 balls, including 10 fours, while wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat contributed 39 off 76 deliveries. Bengal, who had secured a substantial first-innings lead after posting 429 in reply to Delhi’s 240, needed just 15.3 overs to reach the target, finishing at 89 for one to seal a comprehensive victory.
The Group C match between Jharkhand and Kerala in Jamshedpur ended in a draw, with the home side earning three points for taking the first-innings lead. Navdeep Saini remained unbeaten on 20. Chasing 89 for victory, Bengal lost Ankur Paul, who scored a brisk 38 off 41 balls, including two fours and a six. However, captain Easwaran remained unbeaten on 34 off 40 balls, while first-innings centurion Sudip Gharami finished unbeaten on 16 off 12 deliveries as Bengal completed the chase without further trouble. Starting the new season under coach Monty Desai, Gujarat reached the target without losing a wicket in just 9.3 overs.
