2019-20 Ranji Season: Bihar Review

After a good run in their comeback/debut season, Bihar entered 2019-20 season riding on a 6-match winning streak with a shot at Mumbai’s overall record of 8 wins in row. Although those were dashed in the very first game itself. Overall, this was an inconsistent season for the Ashutosh Aman lead side and Bihar finished 5th in the Plate league. The Plate League has also got more competitive this year unlike last season when it was a straight contest between Bihar & Uttarakhand for the top slot!

Highs & Lows

• Ashutosh Aman had another great season picking 49 wickets and also getting 3 50s.
• Babul Kumar, Rahmatullah and Vikash Ranjan have formed the core of the batting with each of them scoring over 500 runs in the season.
• The initial form of Yashasvi Rishav looks good. 
• Abhijeet Saket picking up consecutive 7-wicket hauls.
• Meanwhile nepotism rocks – Otherwise how does Lakhan Raja keep playing after getting ducks in his first three innings. 

Here is the Match-by-match season summary:

Game 1: Bihar (173 & 196) lost to Puducherry (300 & 70/0) by 10 wickets

Points: Bihar 0, Puducherry 7

• First-Class Debut: Nishant Kumar, Sabir Khan
• 2nd 5-wicket haul for Vivek Kumar

Game 2: Chandigarh (420) drew with Bihar (115 & 175/6 f/o)

Points: Bihar 1, Chandigarh 3

• First-Class Debut: Shashi Shekhar 
• 10th 5-wicket haul for Ashutosh Aman

Game 3: Bihar (326 & 162/1) drew with Goa (470)

Points: Bihar 1, Goa 3

• First-Class Debut: Kumar Mridul
• 11th 5-wicket haul for Ashutosh Aman 
•  First-Class Century #1 for Babul Kumar

Game 4: Mizoram (378 & 68) lost to Bihar (262 & 188/4) 

Points: Bihar 6, Mizoram 0 

• First-Class Debut: Lakhan Raja, Shabbir Khan 
• 12th 5-wicket haul for Ashutosh Aman 
• 1st 5-wicket haul for Abhijeet Saket 

Game 5: Bihar (431) beat Manipur (94 & 154) by innings & 183 runs 

Points: Bihar 7, Manipur 0 

• First-Class Debut: Atulya Priyankar 
• First-Class Century #2 for Indrajit Kumar 
• Abhijeet Saket: 2nd 5-Wicket haul & 1st 10-wicket haul 

Game 6: Nagaland (166 & 444/4) drew with Bihar (509/7d) 

Points: Bihar 3, Nagaland 1 

• First-Class Century #2 for Rahmatullah 
• First-Class Century #1 for Vikash Ranjan 

Game 7: Bihar (208 & 361/4d) drew with Meghalaya (179 & 138/2) 

Points: Bihar 3, Meghalaya 1 

• First-Class Debut: Basukinath, Yashasvi Rishav, Sarfaraz Ashraf & Amod Yadav 
• First-Class Century #3 for Rahmatullah 
• First-Class Century #1 for Yashasv Rishav 
• 100 First-Class wickets for Ashutosh Aman 

Game 8: Arunachal Pradesh (351 & 163) lost to Bihar (291 & 227/4) by 6 wickets 

Points: Bihar 6, Arunachal Pradesh 0 

• First Class Debut: Nikhil Anand 
• First Class Century #4 & #5 as well as 1000 career runs for Rahmatullah. 
• 5-wicket haul #13 & 10-wicket haul #6 for Ashutosh Aman 

Game 9: Bihar (305 & 417/8d) drew with Sikkim (272 & 69/1) 

Points: Bihar 3, Sikkim 1 

• 1000 First-Class runs for Babul Kumar & Century #2 and Highest score 
• First-Class Century #1 for Shasheem Rathour 
• 14th 5-wicket haul for Ashutosh Aman

Season Stats 

Most Runs:

1. Babul Kumar – 822 @54.80, 2x100s & 5x50s
2. Rahmatullah – 695 @63.18, 4x100s & 2x50s
3. Vikash Ranjan – 570 @57.00, 1x100 & 4x50s

Highest Score – Babul Kumar – 195 vs Sikkim

Most Wickets

1. Ashutosh Aman – 49 @18.10, 5x5s 
2. Abhijeet Saket- 26 @15.65, 2x5s
3. Shivam Kumar – 24 @38.75

Best Bowling – Abhijeet Saket – 7/12 vs Mizoram

Player Count: 23

First-Class Debuts: 12 – quite a high number, but expected given that this is just the second season.

Till next season!