Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2021-22: Jharkhand Review

A middling start for the season for Jharkhand. 3 losses on the trot followed by 2 wins to finish 3rd in the Group and getting knocked out early. Some of the games could have gone easily gone the Saurabh Tiwary lead side’s way. Here is the game-by-game summary of the tournament. 

Game 1: Jharkhand 146/5 (20) lost to Rajasthan 147/4 (17.3) by 6 wickets 

Highlights: Kumar Deobrat 51 (34) 

T20 Debut: Kumar Kushagra 

Game 2: Himachal Pradesh 144/8 (20) beat Jharkhand 137/9 (20) by 7 runs 

Highlights: Monu Kumar 3/31, Anukul Roy 2/18 & 39(19) 

Game 3: Andhra 165/4 (20) beat Jharkhand 157/9 (20) by 8 runs 

Highlights: Ishank Jaggi 62 (39) 

T20 Debut: Shubham Singh 

Game 4: Jharkhand 181/5 (20) beat Haryana 165/10 (19.3) by 16 runs 

Highlights: Jaggi 51 (42), Saurabh Tiwary 58* (35), Bal Krishna 3/34, Anukul Roy 2/27, Shahbaz Nadeem 1/17 

Game 5: Jammu & Kashmir 156/6 (20) lost to Jharkhand 157/5 (19.2) by 5 wickets 

Highlights: Utkarsh Singh 2/22 

Season Stats 

Highest Scorers 

1. Saurabh Tiwary 154 @ 51.33, 1x50 
2. Ishank Jaggi 143 @ 47.67, 2x50 
3. Utkarsh Singh 89 @ 22.50 

Highest Wicket-takers 

1. Anukul Roy 6 @ 20.33 
2. Monu Kumar 4 @ 13.00 
3. Shubham Singh 4 @ 24.75 

Best Batting: Ishank Jaggi 62 vs Andhra 

Best Bowling: Bal Krishna 3/34 vs Haryana 

Players Used: 17 

T20 Debut: 2 

Overall, not a particularly great run for Jharkhand. Ishan Kishan was certainly missed.

Jharkhand’s Eden Garden moment

Jharkhand vs Tripura, Agartala – Dec, 2019

Jharkhand became the first team in history of Ranji Trophy to win a game after being asked to follow-on. And what a special effort it was with the senior batsmen Saurabh Tiwary & Ishank Jaggi getting unbeaten hundreds to first overcome the deficit and then set up a target for the bowlers. Ashish Kumar and company then complemented the efforts of the batsman to knock out Tripura in the very last over. A truly remarkable feat in the sporting context itself. And add the fact that Jharkhand were without the services of Varun Aaron, Shahbaz Nadeem and Ishan Kishan. This one becomes extra special. 

The last day commenced in uncertainty, in the backdrop of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. At such times sports do not really matter but they can act as a balm to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Kudos to the organizers and the teams for going through with the game on such a day. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had such a remarkable passage of play in the history of Ranji Trophy! 

VVS Laxman’s career catapulted from an ordinary one into an all-time great trajectory after the miracle at Eden Gardens. Lets see what impact does this special effort have on the careers of Kumar Deobrat, Arnav Sinha, Nazim Siddiqui, Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi, Virat Singh, Anukul Roy, Rahul Prasad, Vivekanand Tiwari, Ashish Kumar and Ajay Yadav. 

How Jharkhand pulled off a repeat of Eden Gardens in Agartala - Cricinfo Article 

2018-19 Ranji Trophy: Jharkhand Review

It was a season where Jharkhand can look back and feel they were hard done by Tripura. Firstly, Tripura batted out 1 session and then frustrated Jharkhand by bowling only 22 overs in two and a half hours of play. Resulted in 3 points instead of 6 for Jharkhand who finished 3rd in the group just a single point behind 2nd placed Uttar Pradesh and miss out on a knock-out berth.

Jharkhand should look back with pride at their performance in this season. In 9 games they got 5 outright wins including one with bonus point, 3 with first-innings lead and one loss to Rajasthan. And all this was achieved with two of their first-choice players missing out on many games. Ishan Kishan on India A duty, while Shahbaz Nadeem got a maiden India call-up (although he did not get a game). 

• Varun Aaron continued his rise back in the ranks. Looking back that IPL snub seems to have done him a world of good, with that county stint and Deodhar Trophy selection, he continued his return to form with 2 fifers and now has been rewarded with an IPL recall. 
• Saurabh Tiwary got 2 centuries but not much else as he produced another 500 run season. But both 100s won the games for his team. 
• Anukul Roy was the stand-out performer with his all-round shows. The debutante finished with 30 wickets and 374 runs performing a few lower-order rescues. One to watch out for the future. 
• For Kumar Deobrat, this was a sort of coming of age season, as he lead the batting charts and got his maiden first-class century!

Round 1: Jharkhand (344 & 230/4d) drew with Assam (298 & 139/2); Jharkhand 3 Points 

First Class Debut: Anukul Roy 

Player of the Match: Ashish Kumar 

Highlights: Ishan Kishan (120 in 2nd), Ashish Kumar (5/32 in 1st) 

Round 2: Haryana (81 & 72) lost to Jharkhand (143 & 12/1) by 9 wickets; Jharkhand 6 Points, missed opportunity for bonus point. 

Player of the Match: Ajay Yadav 

Highlights: Varun Aaron (6/32 in 2nd) 

Round 3: Rajasthan (100 & 379) beat Jharkhand (152 & 235) by 92 runs: Jharkhand 0 Points 

First Class Debut: Alok Sharma 

Highlights: Varun Aaron (5/22 in 1st) 

Round 4: Goa (364 & 131) lost to Jharkhand (390 & 108/3) by 7 wickets; Jharkhand 6 Points 

First Class Debut: Rahul Prasad 

Player of the Match: Anukul Roy 

Highlights: Anukul Roy (127 in 1st), Rahul Prasad (6/45 in 2nd) 

Round 5: Jharkhand (172 & 288) beat Odisha (201 & 257) by 2 runs; Jharkhand 6 Points 

Highlights: Saurabh Tiwary (132* in 2nd) 

Round 6: Jharkhand (354 & 213/5d) drew with Uttar Pradesh (243 & 174/1); Jharkhand 3 Points 

Player of the Match: Rahul Shukla 

Highlights: Shahbaz Nadeem (109 in 1st), Rahul Shukla (5/65 in 1st) 

Round 7: Jharkhand (193 & 343) beat Services (267 & 188) by 81 runs; Jharkhand 6 Points 

Player of the Match: Utkarsh Singh 

Highlights: Utkarsh Singh (114 in 2nd), Shahbaz Nadeem (7/62 in 2nd) 

Round 8: Tripura (253 & 308) drew with Jharkhand (409 & 144/7); Jharkhand 3 Points. Jharkhand just fell short by 9 runs while Tripura bowled only 22 overs in two and a half hours of play in the final session! 

Player of the Match: Kumar Deobrat 

Highlights: Kumar Deobrat (140 in 1st), Nazim Siddiqui (134 in 1st) 

Round 9: Jammu & Kashmir (151 & 120) lost to Jharkhand (319/9d) by an innings & 48 runs; Jharkhand 7 Points 

Player of the Match: Saurabh Tiwary 

Highlights: Ajay Yadav (5/16 in 1st), Saurabh Tiwary (134 in 1st) 

Season Stats 

Top Scorers: 

1. Kumar Deobrat – 631 @57.36 
2. Saurabh Tiwary – 536 @41.23 
3. Ishank Jaggi – 506 @33.73 

Highest Score – Kumar Deobrat 140 vs Tripura 

Most Wickets 

1. Anukul Roy – 30 @22.70 
2. Varun Aaron – 25 @23.68 
3. Rahul Shukla – 23 @21.35 

Best Bowling – Shahbaz Nadeem – 7/62 vs Services 

Player Count: 17 

Debutantes: 3 

Captain Count: 2, Ishan Kishan & Nazim Siddiqui (when Ishan was on India A duty) 

Coming Up Next: Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy

Ranji Trophy 18-19: Jharkhand vs Assam

Match Summary: Jharkhand (344 & 230/4d) drew with Assam (298 & 140/2)

Points: Jharkhand 3, Assam 1

A solid performance to start the season. Jharkhand were missing Shahbaz Nadeem, who has finally got his maiden national call-up. Ishank Jaggi was back in action after sorting out the yo-yo test issues. 

Highlights:

• Playing XI: Kumar Deobrat, Nazim Siddiqui, Utkarsh Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi, Ishan Kishan (c & wk), Anand Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Aaron, Ashish Kumar, Ajay Yadav
• First Class Debut: Anukul Roy
• Ishan Kishan gets his 5th First-Class century, keeping him firmly in contention for the national keeping duties. 
• Maiden First-class half-century for Utkarsh Singh
• A fine all-round debut for Anukul Roy who top-scoring in the first innings & taking the team to a respectable score.
• A maiden 5-wicket haul for Ashish Kumar which ensured Jharkhand got the lead and also secured him the Player of the Match Award.

Season Stats:

• Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan – 138 @ 69.00
• Top Wicket-Taker: Ashish Kumar – 5 @ 13.80
• Player Count – 11

Points Tally: 3 from 1 game. Currently in 3rd place in the group.

Coming Up Next – Haryana who are 2nd in the group but also with 3 points.

IPL Auctions 2018: Jharkhand

The dust settles on the IPL Auctions. Big money was spent by the owners - to give a comparison (an unrelated one) – the amount spent by the IPL teams for the players was more than spent by ISRO to launch Magalyaan! There were some interesting purchases, some bidding wars leading to breaking the bank and finally some inexplicable omissions (Shaun Marsh – proven IPL record and in the form of his life; Hashim Amla – who got a couple of 100s in the last season – just to give two examples). Everyone had a strategy at the auctions (I assume so), only some of it defied logic, and led to some erratic results e.g. Kolkata Knight Riders go into a 7-week, 14-17 game tournament with just 19 players, while Kings XI Punjab forgot to pick a proper wicket-keeper (not counting KL Rahul’s stop-gap arrangement)! There are futile exercises and then there is attempting to make sense of IPL Auctions!

Anyway, I digress. Here is looking at how the Jharkhand team performed at the IPL Auctions

The Retained (not part of the Auction)

MS Dhoni (15 Crores, CSK) comes back to Chennai Super Kings after a 2-year hiatus, on account of CSK’s suspension. Also returns as captain after having spent a year as just another player at Rising Pune Super Giant. 

The Returners

Ishan Kishan (6.20 Crores, MI) – Mumbai went for broke to get hold of services of Ishan. And why not as he is (a) a wicket-keeper, (b) Indian, (c) explosive opening batsman, and (d) left-handed. Checks all the boxes. Aditya Tare is the only competitor for the keeping gloves. Could be a break-out season for this youngster.

Shahbaz Nadeem (3.20 Crores, DD) – gets picked once again by Delhi Daredevils. Has been a consistently good performer across seasons for them and an India A veteran now. Hopefully will get more games than last year. Has competition for the spin bowling slot from the likes of Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav and Sandeep Lamichhane (first Nepalese cricketer in IPL). Probably the reason why he was tried as a pinch-hitter in the Mustaq Ali Trophy - to add an extra string to his bow!

Saurabh Tiwary (80 Lakhs, MI) – retained by Mumbai as a back-up Indian batsman (and got a pay upgrade also). Might get a few games depending on the performances / fitness of the first choice XI.

Ishank Jaggi (20 Lakhs, KKR) – retained by Kolkata. Should manage a few more games than last year’s two because (a) KKR picked only 19 players (of which 11 play), (b) of which 12 are Indian (7 play) & (c) 9 batsmen (6 are needed) and (d) most importantly, Jaggi performed well in pressure situations last IPL and is coming off another good domestic season.

The Newly Bought

Anukul Roy (20 Lakhs, MI) – hasn’t played any senior cricket till date. But has been impressive in the Under-19 World Cup. Might get a look-in at the very beginning as an X-Factor (Mumbai have a history of launching unknowns – e.g. Bumrah and the Pandya brothers)

Monu Kumar (20 Lakhs, CSK) - Consistent performance in the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy helped Monu get picked. However chances of getting a game upfront are quite bleak. Might get a look-in at later stages though.

Meanwhile, Varun Aaron, Virat Singh, Nazim Siddiqui, Rahul Shukla & Pratyush Singh did not find any takers. Aaron might get a call if there are fitness concerns among the many Indian fast bowlers. However, a better bet for him would be to seek a County contract a la Pujara.

Hoping this is a break-out season for these players like Saurabh Tiwary had in 2010!

Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2018: Super League Jharkhand Review

Jharkhand had a poor run in the Super League winning one and losing three of their four games to finish bottom of the table. They did come close against Rajasthan but were absolutely flattened against Karnataka.

Absentees: Dhoni (MIA) Ishank Jaggi (injury)

Game 1: Mumbai 170/5 (20) beat Jharkhand 157/7 (20) by 13 runs

Key Performers: Virat Singh 81 (49), Saurabh Tiwary 32(22), Nadeem 1/23

Game 2: Jharkhand 157/5 (20) lost to Rajasthan 158/6 (19.1) by 4 wickets

Key Performers: Nadeem 27 (22) & 1/18, Ishan Kishan 39(36), Virat Singh 43 (28), Aaron 2/24

• Nadeem batting 1 down was a surprise!

Game 3: Punjab 149/7 (20) lost to Jharkhand 150/6 (19.3) by 4 wickets

Key Performers: Kaushal Singh 3/26 & 29(31), Varun Aaron 2/20, Ishan Kishan 54 (29)

Got to see the Jharkhand team in action on live TV after a long time. Only watched the second half of the game though! Key takeaways:

• Ishan Kishan needs a little more consistency for a call-up to the national squad – given that his direct competitors are Rishabh Pant & Sanju Samson!
• Manpreet Gony hurling abuses at little Ishan Kishan after being hit all over the park! While Harbhajan Singh gives a pat on the back after having bowled him. Good example of what is “spirit of cricket” and what is not?
• Kaushal Singh looks a wannabe Saurabh Tiwary, who used to be a wannabe MS Dhoni!
• Punjab’s fielding left a lot to be desired.
• And Nadeem seems to be specializing as a pinch-hitter now!

Game 4: Karnataka 201/4 (20) beat Jharkhand 78 (14.2) by 123 runs

Key performers: Vikash Singh 25 (16) coming in at No.10! 7 Varun Aaron scoring 3 off 30 balls.

Special Mention: Karun Nair got a 100 for the opposing side!

Season Stats

• Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan 273 runs
• Most Wickets: Monu Kumar 12
• Player Count: 15

So the auditions for the coming IPL Auctions are done. Let’s see which of the Jharkhand Auction XI has caught the eye of the scouts!

IPL 2018 Auctions: Jharkhand Preview

The biggest event of the cricketing year is about to be held on January 28th and 29th. With the near-complete overhaul of the teams, many players would be waiting with bated breath at the results of the auction. Who is picked by whom and at what price. Wondering which performace may have caught the eye of the IPL scout, which might get them a chance to perform on the stepping stone to A and national team.

The Retained

As expected, MS Dhoni has been retained for Rs. 15 Crores, by Chennai Super Kings, who are returning to the IPL fold after a two year suspension.

The Short-List

And below is the list of players who are in the short-list for the auction, alongwith their sequence of appearance in the pool. Many uncapped pools have been brought forward, making the auction a bit more interesting. Below is the list of Jharkhand boys in the auction pool.

S. No.	Name	Set #	Base Price	2017 Team	IPL Experience
1.	Ishank Jaggi	8	20 Lakhs	Kolkata Knight Riders	7
2.	Ishan Kishan	10	40 Lakhs	Gujarat Lions	16
3.	Shahbaz Nadeem	12	40 Lakhs	Delhi Daredevils	55
4.	Saurabh Tiwary	13	50 Lakhs	Mumbai Indians	81
5.	Varun Aaron	26	50 Lakhs	Kings XI Punjab	42
6.	Virat Singh	28	20 Lakhs	-	-
7.	Anukul Roy	37	20 Lakhs	-	-
8.	Nazim Siddiqui	38	20 Lakhs	-	-
9.	Rahul Shukla	39	20 Lakhs	-	7
10.	Pratyush Singh	49	20 Lakhs	Delhi Daredevils	0
11.	Monu Kumar	54	20 Lakhs	-	-

Quite a few names in the mix here. The likes of Nadeem, Ishan Kishan, Aaron should certainly get picked. While Jaggi, Tiwary and Virat Singh have a decent chance. Anukul Roy recently described as the Ravindra Jadeja of Samastipur has a very strong chance of getting picked after his recent exploits in the Under-19 World Cup. Although, he is yet to make his Jharkhand debut!

The bringing forward of the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy has given a good opportunity for the players to showcase their talents. The likes of Virat Singh and Monu Kumar have certainly made good use of this opportunity. Hope they have caught the eye of the scouts as well.

Good luck to the auction XI!

P.S. Performances of the Jharkhand players in IPL 2017!

Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy 2018: Zonal Stage: Jharkhand Review

Before we delve further, a piece of interesting news from the Honorable Supreme Court, who have directed BCCI to allow Bihar to play in the Ranji Trophy. So most likely from next season, Slipstream Cricket will be providing more Domestic coverage as we have two teams to follow now! But we shall cross that bridge when it comes. 

This year, BCCI has brought forward the Domestic T20 tournament, thus giving the players an added incentive of performing just before the IPL auctions. Last year, Ishank Jaggi grabbed his chances and got an IPL contract. This year with the complete overhaul of the IPL teams, more places are up for grabs. 

There was a change in the tournament format. Like every year, we need to keep tinkering with our domestic tournaments! The tournament is held in two stages, first the zonal leagues followed by Top two from each zone qualifying for the Super League and followed by a Final. Thus better team performances give more chances to individuals to showcase their talent to the IPL scouts.

Now for Jharkhand’s performance. MS Dhoni opted out of the tournament which was a big blow to the team. Varun Aaron lead the team.

Game 1: Jharkhand 163/6 (20) beat Tripura 139/9 (20) by 24 runs

Key performers: Virat Singh 43 (31), Ishan Kishan 26 (16), Ishank Jaggi 33 (26). 2 wickets each for Nadeem, Varun Aaron and Kaushal Singh who also contributed 20 with the bat.

Game 2: Jharkhand 177/9 (20) lost to Bengal 179/4 (19.2) by 6 wickets

Key Performers: Ishank Jaggi 72 (39) & Ishan Kishan 49 (35). 2 wickets for Kaushal Singh.

Game 3: Assam 148/6 (20) lost to Jharkhand 149/2 (16) by 8 wickets.

Key Performers: Monu Kumar 3/23, Ishank Jaggi 68*(37) & Ishan Kishan 36 (19)

T20 debut for Nazim Siddiqui.

Game 4: Odisha 123 (19.4) lost to Jharkhand 129/2 (16.4) by 8 wickets

Key Performers: Monu Kumar with 4/14; Ishan Kishan 51 (38) & Ishank Jaggi 40*(25).

Senior debut for Atul Surwar.

Jharkhand finished second in East Zone behind Bengal to qualify for the Super League.

Season Stats:

Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi - 213 runs

Most Wickets: Monu Kumar - 8 

Ranji Trophy 17-18: Jharkhand vs Gujarat

Match Summary: Gujarat (411 & 16/0) beat Jharkhand (242 & 183(f/o)) by 10 wickets
Points: Gujarat 7, Jharkhand 0

And the terrible season ends with another big defeat, at the hands of the defending champions Gujarat. Jharkhand were never in the running in this game and were outplayed completely. Nothing really to write about except Kumar Deobrat's twin fifties.

Overall a very disappointing season especially after last year's run to the semi-finals. Too much chopping and changing went on. We suffered from the absence of Shahbaz Nadeem due to India A duty, during the initial games, then Saurabh Tiwary had a bad run of form. Ishank Jaggi got 3 consecutive centuries but not much beyond that. Overall, the team did not click as a unit except for one game. On the bright side, Nazim Siddiqui's debut season was solid. Should get a decent run.

Highlights

• Playing XI:Changes - too many of them!
• In:  Virat Singh, Ashish Kumar, Ajay Yadav
• Out: Saurabh Tiwary, Sunny Gupta, Sonu Singh
• Shahbaz Nadeem led the side in Tiwary's absence
• 350 FC wickets for Nadeem
• Kumar Deobrat recorded his highest FC score of 80.

Season Stats

• Top Scorers: 
• Ishan Kishan - 484 @44.00
• Nazim Siddiqui - 474 @43.09
• Ishank Jaggi - 448 @44.80
• Top Wicket-taker: 
• Shahbaz Nadeem - 18 @32.83
• Sunny Gupta - 17 @25.47
• Varun Aaron - 15 @29.93
• Player Count: 20
• Captain Count: 3

Points Tally - 8 after 6 games. Finishing 6th in the group

Coming Up Next
Vijay Hazare Trophy in mid-February. Let's see if any of the players make an appearance in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy.

Ranji Trophy 17-18: Jharkhand vs Saurashtra

Match Summary: Saurashtra (553/9d & 59/4) beat Jharkhand (270 &341 (f/o)) by 6 wickets
Points: Saurashtra 6, Jharkhand 0

Cheteshwar Pujara has had a lean patch in recent times and he chose this very match to come back into form! In the process shattering the record for the most double centuries by an Indian batsman. For some reason Ranji, after whom the Trophy is named is not counted as an Indian batsman!!

Jharkhand were simply outplayed by the Saurashtra side. Although there were some passages of play when they were on top. In the first innings after taking down the first 4 Saurashtra wickets quickly. And in the entertaining passage of play following-on when Nazim Siddiqui and Sumit Kumar were going at over 5 runs per over. Siddiqui was unlucky to miss out on a century by a whisker - out for 99 off just 75 balls! With the ball, they did knock off 4 Saurashtra wickets while defending a meager target of 59.

The result makes the task of qualifying even more difficult.

Highlights

• Playing XI:Changes: 
• In: Sumit Kumar, Sonu Singh, (both in their first appearance of the season), Ashish Kumar
• Out: Jaskaran Singh, Sunny Gupta, Virat SIngh
• Maiden first-class century for Sumit Kumar, who also kept wickets, while Ishan Kishan played as a pure batsman.
• First-class century #18 for Ishank Jaggi, also his 3rd of the season.
• 50 FC wickets for Ashish Kumar in his 15th game

Season Stats

• Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi - 399 @66.50
• Top Wicket-taker: Sunny Gupta - 15@20.20
• Player Count: 17
• Captain Count: 2

Points Tally - 8 after 4 games. Stayed at 4th. However, the gap with Top 3 has widened quite a bit. Need outright victories in both remaining games to stay in contention.

Coming Up Next

Jammu & Kashmir who are in the 6th place.

Ranji Trophy 17-18: Jharkhand vs Haryana

Match Summary: Haryana (208 & 296) lost to Jharkhand (425/9d & 81/0)
Points: Jharkhand 7, Haryana 0

The return of Shahbaz Nadeem bolstered Jharkhand as they romped home to a 10 wicket victory over Haryana. They knocked out Haryana quickly after having lost the toss. The top order failed but the middle and lower order took them to a big lead. After knocking over the Haryana top order in the 2nd innings, Jharkhand must have started scenting an innings victory. But there was some stubborn resistance, which lasted well into the final session. But the young openers chased down the target with ease and also secured a bonus point. 

Highlights

• Playing XI:Changes: 
• In: Shahbaz Nadeem, Shasheem Rathour (both in their first appearance of the season), Varun Aaron
• Out: Babul Kumar, Ajay Yadav, Ashish Kumar 
• Saurabh Tiwary continues to captain the side
• First-class century #17 for Ishank Jaggi which turned the game in Jharkhand's favour.
• Ishan Kishan crosses the landmark of 50 catches in his 29th game.
• 14th career 5-wicket haul for Shahbaz Nadeem
• 50th first-class game for Sunny Gupta

Season Stats

• Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan - 271 @54.20
• Top Wicket-taker: Sunny Gupta - 15@20.20
• Player Count: 15
• Captain Count: 2

Points Tally - 8 after 3 games. Moved up 2 places to 4th.

Coming Up Next

Saurashtra who are in the top spot.

Ranji Trophy 17-18: Jharkhand vs Rajasthan

Match Summary: Rajasthan (423) drew with Jharkhand (262 & 332/6 (f/o))
Points: Rajasthan 3, Jharkhand 1

The terrible start to the season continues as Jharkhand managed a single point against Rajasthan. Centuries by Amit Gautam and Tajinder Singh helped Rajasthan build up a big total of 423. Jharkhand batsmen did not really get going in reply with only Saurabh Tiwary managing some resistance. Jharkhand were forced to follow-on but they performed much more creditably the second time around to limit the damage and come away with one point from the game.

Highlights

• Playing XI:Changes: 
• In: Jaskaran Singh & Ajay Yadav
• Out: Varun Aaron & Samar Quadri
• Saurbah Tiwary captained the side in Varun Aaron's absence
• Nazim Siddiqui scored his maiden first-class 100 in just his second game and that too on his 23rd birthday! Not a bad birthday gift for himself!
• First-class century #16 for Ishank Jaggi and a match-saving one at that.

Season Stats

• Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan - 142 @35.50
• Top Wicket-taker: Sunny Gupta - 9@19.44
• Player Count: 13
• Captain Count: 2

Points Tally - 1 after 2 games. Moved up 1 place to 6th. Need a couple of outright wins to secure qualification.

Coming Up Next

Haryana who are currently in 7th place with no points. However, they have a game in hand. Hopefully Nadeem's return from India A duties will boost the team.

IPL 10: Jharkhand Review

The 10th edition of the IPL is done and dusted and the cricketing circus has moved on to the next destination – the Champions Trophy. But before we go there, a lookback at the Jharkhand team’s performance in the IPL.

1. MS Dhoni (Rising Pune Supergiant) – 16 Matches, 290 runs @26.36, Strike Rate – 116. For the first time in IPL was not captaining the team. But he was still there setting fields for his captain from behind the stumps. Behind the stumps, he was flawless but in front, his powers are on wane. Although gave flashes of his brilliant past, most memorably in the chase against Hyderabad, but certainly heading to the twilight of his career. 
2. Ishan Kishan (Gujarat Lions) – 11 Matches, 277 runs @27.70, Strike rate – 134.46. Showed some signs of his firepower and striking ability. Became the third youngest player to score an IPL fifty. Unfortunately for him the two faster ones are his direct competitiors for the national wicket-keeper’s slot, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, both of whom seem to be ahead of him in the pecking order. Also Dinesh Karthik’s presence made him play as a pure batsman only. 
3. Shahbaz Nadeem (Delhi Daredevils) – 7 Matches, 6 wickets @19.83, Economy rate -6.67. Numbers which suggest that he should have got more games for the struggling Delhi side but did not. After all his was the best economy rate in the team. Delhi’s selection tactics were weird to say the least. But Nadeem did his reputation no harm. 
4. Varun Aaron (Kings XI Punjab) – 6 Matches, 7 wickets @23.28, Economy rate – 8.15. Aaron got a few games, and his economy was the best amongst the Kings XI fast bowlers, including the Sharma trio – Ishant, Mohit, Sandeep. But couldn’t really light up the tournament. 
5. Ishank Jaggi (Kolkata Knight Riders) – 2 matches, 33 runs @33.00, Strike rate – 84.61. Returned to the IPL fold after 4 seasons, with a last moment entry into the Auctions list. Came into the playing XI at the very end only due to an injury to Manish Pandey. Numbers might not be much, but did play crucial knocks in both the knock-outs, steadying the manic 6-over chase in the eliminator before doing his best to salvage the crumbling KKR ship in the 2nd Qualifier. 
6. Saurabh Tiwary (Mumbai Indians) – 1 match, 52 runs @52, Strike Rate – 120.93. Got one chance when Mumbai decided to rest their senior players and made most out of it. But got a public ticking off from his partner Ambati Rayudu for his poor running! 

So in all, a decent IPL for the Jharkhand boys. Lets hope the next edition is even better. However, with a fresh auction coming up, a good domestic season is needed.

Vijay Hazare 2016-17: Jharkhand Review

Jharkhand followed the successful run in Ranji Trophy with another good run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the national List A tournament. The team had a good outing in the Group stages winning 4 and losing 2 to enter the Quarter-finals edging past Hyderabad on Net Run Rates. The Quarters were another walk in the park against Vidarbha before the team lost in the semi-finals to Bengal.

It was an eventful run for Jharkhand, both on and off the field with a fire incident in the team hotel causing the semi-finals to be delayed by a day. Dhoni's presence as captain lead to an increased media coverage of the team, which certainly put the spotlight on the good performers. However, it was the usual suspects who made the most of the spotlight - Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi, Ishan Kishan and Shahbaz Nadeem - all of whom strengthened their claims for an India A berth.

The batting at the top remains an area of concern with the middle order of Tiwary , Jaggi and Dhoni having to regularly bail out the team.

Best Perfomance: Dhoni's 129 vs Chhattisgarh, almost single-handedly taking the team to victory.

Top Scorers:

1. Saurabh Tiwary - 368 runs @ 52.57

2. MS Dhoni - 330 runs @ 66.00

3. Ishank Jaggi - 279 runs @ 55.80

Most Wickets:

1. Shahbaz Nadeem - 15 wickets @ 18.00

2. Varun Aaron - 14 wickets @ 21.64

3. Rahul Shukla - 13 wickets @ 26.54

Overall this was a good season for Jharkhand with the zoanl T20s being the only blip. They have moved deeper in both Ranji and Vijay Hazare this year. Hopefully next season we will get our hands on that elusive Trophy.

IPL 2017 Auction: Jharkhand

As the dust settles on the IPL Auctions for 2017, here is taking a look at how the Jharkhand boys have fared. 

The Retained

1. MS Dhoni - retained by Rising Pune Supergiants but has been removed from captaincy. For the first time in IPL, Dhoni will be playing just as a member of the playing XI and not as captain.
2. Shahbaz Nadeem - retained by Delhi Daredevils. After being the top wicket-taker for 2 consecutive Ranji seasons, he is now an India A team regular with a national call-up not too far away. With Tahir and Negi released, should be a first choice spinner for the team. Has competition from Jayant Yadav and M Ashwin.
3. Ishan Kishan - retained by Gujarat Lions. Coming from a prolific domestic season which has seen him get regular India A call-ups, this youngster will be fighting for the keeper's slot with Dinesh Karthik. Should certainly get a few games.
4. Pratyush Singh - Retained by Delhi Daredevils. He started playing for Delhi but made his first-class debut for Jharkhand in this very season! May not get a game this year as well.

The Newly Bought

1. Varun Aaron - released by Royal Challengers Bangalore and now bought by Kings XI Punjab for 2.80 crores. He has pace, but is injury prone and often expensive. Might not be a first choice but could get a few games in.
2. Saurabh Tiwary - released by Pune, now returns to Mumbai Indians for 30 lakhs, the team from which he got into the national XI. Might not be part of a first choice eleven but should get a few games. 
3. Ishank Jaggi - returns to IPL action after a long time after some headline making knocks in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy. Sterling performances in the Mustaq Ali Trophy saw his name added to the draft after initially missing out. Picked at base price of 10 lakh by Kolkata Knight Riders. But will he get a chance to play?

Not picked in the Auctions - Rahul Shukla, Virat Singh, Vikash Singh, Monu Kumar.

Over the last few seasons, Jharkhand cricket has been on  an upswing with the team reaching Ranji knock-outs on a regular basis. Quite a few players are putting up their name for the A squad. All they need is one superlative season like Saurbah Tiwary's 2010 run to come up with a national call. Lets see who of the seven grab this opportunity.

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Semi-Final Jharkhand vs Gujarat

Match Summary: Gujarat (390 & 252) beat Jharkhand (418 & 111) by 123 runs   

At the fag end of the 4th day's play, Jharkhand's dream run came to a brutal and quick end. In a seesawing game, fortunes swung one way and then the other. Gujarat began briskly on Day 1, Jharkhand hauled them back on Day 2 but the 8th wicket partnership resisted long and took the score to 390. Jharkhand were in trouble early in the innings but Ishank Jaggi and others dragged them to the crucial first innings lead of 18 runs. But in a 5 day match, with a brisk run-rate from both sides only an outright victory was going to secure the result. Gujarat set a competitive target of 235. And then in the 4th innings, Jharkhand capitulated against the pace duo of RP Singh and Jasprit Bumrah and lost by 123 runs. The margin does not do justice to the intensity of the battle.

In the end it wasn't to be. Although this certainly was Jharkhand's greatest run in the Ranji Trophy (not counting their previous avatar of Bihar, who once finished runners-up).  The season has thrown up a lot of youngsters like Ishan Kishan, Virat Singh, Kaushal Singh who are ready to take on the mantle. The senior lot of Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi and Shahbaz Nadeem are also likely to be in the mix for some more time.

• It was refreshing to see Jharkhand's batting being more than just Saurabh Tiwary for a change who had another 500+ run season. Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kishan added lots of firepower to the batting.
• Meanwhile Shahbaz Nadeem is set to top the wicket-taking charts for a second year in a row. Wonder what else he needs to do for the national call-up now. 
• Fitness issues have plagued the team's bowling attack with Varun Aaron missing most of the season. Ashish Kumar's injury during the Quarter-finals also hasn't helped.
• The opening partnerships were another area of concern throughout.

Good performances in the forthoming Vijay Hazare Trophy should see some of the youngsters in contention for IPL contracts which could be their stepping stone to the A Squad and then onwards to the national team.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi 890 @59.33

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 56 @25.61
Player Count: 17

Hopefully this season has set the tone for another good run in the next one.

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Odisha

Match Summary: Odisha (152 & 103) lost to Jharkhand (348) by innings & 93 runs   

Points: Jharkhand 7, Odisha 0

It was a dead rubber with both teams having qualified. However being the only game underway, it had the undivided attention of India's domestic cricket followers with the key point of interest being whether Jharkhand would overtake Karnataka to be the group toppers.

And top they did and in quite some style smashing Odisha by an innings to take a bonus point as well. They ran through the Odisha batting on first day with spinners Nadeem and Sunny Gupta doing most of the damage. Then put on a big lead with fifties from Virat Singh (on comeback), Saurabh Tiwary and Kaushal Singh. Then they ran through Odisha once again with Nadeem and Kaushal Singh doing most of the damage. Certainly a morale-boosting win to take into the knock-outs.

A 5th win of the season and impressive performance throughout was bound to bring you in the limelight. And Cricinfo did a whole article on the youthful Jharkhand team, who are looking ahead to create a name for themselves.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Virat Singh, Sunny Gupta, Vikash Singh; Out - Ashish Kumar, Pratyush Singh, Rahul Shukla (after a Man-of the-Match effort in the previous game!). 
• Kaushal Singh received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi 675 @61.36

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 39 @28.26
Player Count: 17

Points Tally - 39 after 8 games to take the top spot in the group. Meanwhile Odisha keep 3rd place to also qualify for the knock-outs.

Coming Up Next - Haryana in the Quarter-finals. They will be likely to be bolstered by the return of Amit Mishra and Jayant Yadav from national duty (injuries permitting). 

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Assam

Match Summary: Jharkhand (316 &111/5) beat Assam (126 & 299 (f/o)) by 5 wickets  

Points: Jharkhand 6, Assam 0

Jharkhand recorded their 4 win of the season to seal a knock-out berth for a second year in a row. And with Karnataka losing to Saurashtra, they also leap-frogged to the top spot in the group.

Assam won the toss and put Jharkhand into bat. They were in early trouble before the experienced pair of Saurabh Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi built together a 149 run partnership for the 4th wicket. There wasn't any other substantial contribution as the team folded out for 316. This proved a big score as the Jharkhand seamers shot out Assam for 126 and enforced the follow-on. In the second innings Assam's top 3 wiped out the 190 run deficit but the rest could not add much as they collapsed form 225/1 to 299 all out leaving a target of 110. Jharkhand's chase was wobbly but Jaggi's brisk innings guided them to victory.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Rahul Shukla (playing his 1st game of the season) Out - Samar Quadri. 
• 50 career wickets for Rahul Shukla who also received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi 651 @65.10

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 32 @32.59
Player Count: 17

Points Tally - 32 after 7 games to move up to the top spot. And with this victory Jharkhand confirm their spot in the knock-outs. Meanwhile Assam drop down to the bottom of the group.

Coming Up Next - 3rd place Odisha for whom it is a very critical match. 

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Saurashtra

Match Summary: Saurashtra (277 & 144) lost to Jharkhand (477) by innings and 46 runs 

Points: Jharkhand 7, Saurashtra 0

Saurashtra were knocked off quickly on the first day. Although their tail wagged a bit to take the score to 277. Ashish Kumar and Shahbaz Nadeem were the wreckers in chief. In reply the Jharkhand batsmen blazed away with Ishan Kishan and Ishank Jaggi blasting big 100s with Jharkhand scoring 477 at a run rate of 4.58! Saurashtra ere knocked over quickly in the second innings with Samar Quadri picking 4 and Ashish picking 3 wickets.

Jharkhand even got the bonus point as they recorded their 3rd win of the season and seem set to qualify for the knock-outs for second year in a row.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Ajay Yadav, Sumit Kumar Samar Quadri. Out - Virat Singh, Sunny Gupta, Vikash Singh. 
• 14th first class century for Ishank Jaggi and his 3rd of this season. He also completed 4000 career runs.
• 4th first class century for Ishan Kishan, who also recorded his third of the season. Maybe its a good idea to take the keeping gloves off him.
• Ishank Jaggi received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan 595 @74.38

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 29 @33.79
Player Count: 16

Points Tally - 26 after 6 games to retain 2nd spot behind Karnataka (29 from 5). Meanwhile Saurashtra remain in last place. Chances of qualification looking very bright at the moment.

Coming Up Next - Jharkhand sit out the next round of games before taking on 7th place  Assam

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Delhi

Match Summary: Jharkhand (473) drew with Delhi (334 & 484/ (f/o)) 

Points: Jharkhand 3, Delhi 1

After the previous game against Vidarbha, I had posted that it would be interesting to see the side-battle between two 19-year-old left-handed wicketkeeper batsman. And Boy! was I right. The Jharkhand vs Delhi game was reduced to a Ishan Kishan vs Rishabh Pant affair.

Delhi won the toss and put Jharkhand into bat. Jharkhand were soon 80 for 4 before Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kishan joined forces. Kishan put up big stands with Jaggi, Kaushal Singh and Nadeem to take the score to 404 for 7. At the fall of Nadeem's wicket he opened and smashed 86 of the last 89 runs to take Jharkhand to a formidable 493. In the process breaking many Jharkhand batting records.

Delhi replied with Unmukt Chand and Rishabh Pant scoring 100s but there wasn't much support from the others as they folded up for 332. Jharkhand imposed the follow-on but Delhi easily cut into the deficit. The match was heading towards a draw when in walked Pant. And smashed a 67 ball 135 for his second century of the game with 13 sixes. Delhi decided to bat on and the game ended in a draw with Jharkhand getting 3 points on virtue of the first innings lead.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Sunny Gupta. Out - Ajay Yadav. 
• Ishan Kishan's records
• 273 - Highest first class score by any Jharkhand batsman.
• 14 - Joint most sixes in a single innings in Ranji Trophy
• 3rd first class century and during the course of the innings completed passed the 1000 run mark as well.
• Meanwhile Rishabh Pant blazed a faster than run-a-ball 100 in both innings and broke the record for fastest first-class century by an Indian in just 48 balls. And as for his first-class numbers his average is Bradmanesque and Strike Rate Sehwagesque.
• Ishan Kishan received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan 459 @65.57

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 24 @35.67
Player Count: 15

Points Tally - 19 after 5 games to retain 2nd spot behind Karnataka (23 from 4). Meanwhile Delhi remain in 3rd place.

Coming Up Next - Saurashtra, who are at the bottom of the Group.