Off-spinner Shivam Sharma delivered a sensational five-wicket haul as Delhi thrashed Railways by an innings and 19 runs in their final Ranji Trophy Group D league stage match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Despite the emphatic victory earning Delhi a bonus point, it wasn’t enough to secure them a place in the Ranji Trophy knockouts. The match wrapped up in three days, largely due to Shivam’s exceptional bowling and Railways’ underwhelming batting performance.

Shivam, making a remarkable return to first-class cricket after nearly four years, was the standout performer. He claimed 5 wickets for just 33 runs in 11 overs, registering his third five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket. Railways were bundled out for 114 in their second innings, falling well short of Delhi’s total. Earlier, Delhi resumed their innings at 334/7 and added a few more runs before being bowled out for 374 in 106.4 overs. Sumit Mathur, who had been steady, was dismissed for 86, while Siddhant Sharma fell for 6. Himanshu Sangwan’s 4-wicket haul brought Delhi’s innings to an end.

Railways, already hampered by the absence of Anchit Yadav due to injury, struggled to find their footing. Delhi struck early when Siddhant Sharma removed Railways captain Suraj Ahuja, and Shivam quickly followed up by dismissing Vivek Singh and Mohammad Saif. Although play was briefly interrupted when spectators entered the field to meet Virat Kohli, Delhi’s bowlers maintained their dominance. Railways were reduced to 74/4 by lunch, and despite a brief fightback from Ayan Chaudhari, Delhi’s bowlers swiftly wrapped up the remaining wickets. Shivam completed his five-wicket haul, and Ayush Badoni sealed the match by taking the final wicket.

Delhi’s commanding victory, achieved by an innings and 19 runs, was powered by Shivam’s outstanding spell and significant contributions from players like Ayush Badoni and Sumit Mathur. Railways, meanwhile, ended their campaign on a disappointing note, scoring 241 in their first innings and 114/9 in their second. Delhi’s strong finish to the 2024/25 domestic season, though not enough for a knockout berth, showcased their potential and depth in the competition.

Hockey India has announced a 32-member squad for the Indian men’s hockey team’s participation in the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25. The tournament will be held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium from February 15 to 25, featuring India playing Spain, Germany, Ireland, and England twice each.

Veteran Harmanpreet Singh will continue as captain, with Hardik Singh serving as vice-captain. The team boasts a strong mix of experienced players and exciting new talent. Notable inclusions are first-choice goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, and two promising young players: Angad Bir Singh (22) and Arshdeep Singh (20), who have earned their first senior national team call-ups after impressive performances in the junior team and Hockey India League.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Princedeep Singh

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Varun Kumar, Yashdeep Siwach

Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Rajinder Singh

Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Angad Bir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Uttam Singh, Arshdeep Singh

Head Coach Craig Fulton expressed his enthusiasm about the selected squad, stating, “I’m extremely happy with the squad. I believe this team can win games, perform harmoniously, and play impressive hockey. I look forward to training with them and starting our Pro League campaign strongly. I’ve been observing these players and am excited to see them compete against some of the best international teams.”

Shardul Thakur’s resurgence in the Ranji Trophy continued with a breathtaking display of fast bowling against Meghalaya at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in Mumbai on January 30. His performance was pivotal in shaping Mumbai’s crucial final-round match, a contest directly impacting their chances of reaching the quarter-finals. Thakur’s devastating spell began early, claiming a hat-trick in just the second over of the match after Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane elected to field first.

The Mumbai all-rounder’s hat-trick was a masterclass in swing bowling. He first dismissed left-hander Balchander Anirudh with a fuller-length delivery that swung sharply into the stumps. He then outwitted Sumit Kumar, tempting him into a careless shot that ended with a catch in the slip cordon.

The hat-trick ball was equally impressive, swinging to force Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva into a poke, resulting in an inside edge onto the stumps. This achievement marked Thakur’s fifth Ranji Trophy hat-trick for Mumbai, cementing his place in the tournament’s history. He ultimately finished with impressive figures of 4 for 43 from 11 overs, three of which were maidens.

Thakur’s impact extended beyond his hat-trick. His early wicket in the first over, removing Nishanta Chakraborty for a duck, triggered a catastrophic collapse for Meghalaya. The Meghalaya batting lineup crumbled under the pressure, eventually being bundled out for a meagre 86 runs in just 24.3 overs. Other Mumbai bowlers contributed to the rout, with Mohit Avasthi taking three wickets, Sylvester D’Souza securing two, and Shams Mulani chipping in with one. The low score was a testament to Thakur’s early dominance and the overall effectiveness of the Mumbai bowling attack.

Thakur’s performance holds even greater significance when considered in the context of his recent match against Jammu and Kashmir. In that game, while other prominent Mumbai batsmen struggled, Thakur waged a lone battle, scoring a crucial 60 in the first innings and following it up with a magnificent century in the second. His all-round contributions underscore his importance to the Mumbai team. His current form makes him a key player in their hopes for a deep run in the tournament.

In contrast to Thakur’s triumphant return, KL Rahul’s much-anticipated Ranji Trophy comeback for Karnataka ended in relative disappointment in Bengaluru. Despite a composed innings of 26 runs (from 37 balls, including four boundaries), he was dismissed by Haryana’s in-form bowler, Anshul Kamboj. While his performance wasn’t a complete failure, it lacked the fireworks expected of a player of his caliber.

Karnataka, however, still managed to dominate the match thanks to impressive performances from Mayank Agarwal (who narrowly missed a century, falling nine runs short), and Devdutt Padikkal. The young Ravichandran Smaran, fresh off a double century in the previous round, also contributed significantly to the team’s total after lunch.