KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan both scored hundreds on the opening day of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy.
Opener Bharat begins with a bang
Having spent a few series as the reserve wicketkeeper in the Indian Test side, Bharat made his debut in the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, after Rishabh Pant’s injury. He kept wicket soundly, but made only 221 runs at 20.09 and failed to reach fifty across seven Test matches. Consequently, he is yet to play for India since the Visakhapatnam Test against England in 2023/24.
Bharat opened batting in Andhra’s Ranji Trophy game against Uttar Pradesh at the Green Park in Kanpur. After Abhishek Reddy (36) helped him put on 93 for the opening stand, Bharat continued with Shaik Rasheed. He eventually fell for a 244-ball 144 with 13 fours. Aaqib Khan (2-50), who got him, also removed Ricky Bhui three balls later. At stumps on day one, Andhra were 289-3 with Rasheed (94) at the crease.
It is worth a mention that despite his ordinary outings with the bat in Test cricket, Bharat averaged 36.44 coming into this game. His 10 first-class hundreds include 308 against Goa at Ongole in 2014/15: he had been opening batting on that occasion as well.
Match 18, Uttar Pradesh vs Andhra
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Kishan leaves his mark as well
After leaving a mark in limited-overs internationals, Kishan was called up to the Test squad when Bharat replaced Pant in the first XI. He replaced Bharat in the first XI on the West Indies tour of 2023, where he scored 78 runs and got out only once. Without any restriction, his batting average of 78 is the highest among Indians, but he is yet to play Test cricket since that tour.
Kishan was leading Jharkhand against Tamil Nadu at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground in Coimbatore. Coming out at 79-3, he saw his team slump to 157-6. Kishan (125 in 183 balls, 14 fours, two sixes) and Sahil Raj (64) then took Jharkhand to 307-6 at stumps.
Kishan averaged 38.38 in first-class cricket before this innings. This was his ninth hundred.
Match 9, Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand
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