Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Sonu Yadav’s five-wicket haul puts Tamil Nadu in command against Odisha
Sonu Yadav’s stump-bound maiden five-for (5/30) dismantled Odisha for 148, handing Tamil Nadu a 138-run first-innings lead on day two of their Group ‘A’ sixth-round Ranji Trophy match at the KIIT Stadium on Friday.
Sonu and Gurjapneet Singh (1/37) settled into a metronomic rhythm, seven tight overs apiece in their opening spell, turning movement into menace and patience into pressure until escape felt improbable. Odisha slid to 21 for five inside 62 balls as a result.
Wickets arrived not in a flurry but in sequence, as certainties. On a surface that rewarded discipline, the two quicks did not chase magic – they allowed it to surface naturally, one probing spell feeding the other, until the top order lay spent and the morning belonged entirely to Tamil Nadu.
Sonu made the stumps his address. The nip-backer, his calling card, accounted for opener Swastik Samal (1), captain Subhranshu Senapati (12), and Govinda Poddar (0) – bats misalinged, pads exposed, all betrayed by movement. For a change, he rattled Biplab Samantaray’s (1) off-stump, beating the outside edge.
Tall, upright, and extracting bounce from a high release point, Gurjapneet hovered just outside off, inviting doubt. Over after over, he teased the edge, content to wait. The reward arrived in his sixth over, Shantanu Mishra (6) feathering one through to the keeper.
Even when the first-change bowler came on, the pressure refused to lift. Trilok Nag (2/36) slipped seamlessly into the script, drawing Rajesh Dhuper (8) into a loose flirtation outside off. Another edge, another catch, and by lunch Tamil Nadu had translated a compliant morning into six wickets – the conditions honoured, the discipline rewarded.
Anil Parida (56) and Sambit Baral (36) offered a bit of resistance as Tamil Nadu could only manage two wickets in the second session. Ajitesh took a smarting catch off Baral’s bullet edge at third slip off Trilok, and left-arm spinner P. Vidyuth (2/12) castled Debabrata Pradhan (15).
Post tea, Sonu completed his five-for, Parida nicking through to the keeper, after Rajesh Mohanty (6) holed out to long-on off Vidyuth.
Scores
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: S.R. Athish c Dhuper b Debabrata 50, N. Jagadeesan b Mohanty 7, P. Vidyuth c Shantanu b Mohanty 12, Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Prasant b Baral 78, Andre Siddarth c Roul b Poddar 56, G. Ajitesh st Dhuper b Samantaray 0, Nidhish Rajagopal b Debabrata 54, Sonu Yadav c Samantaray b Poddar 8, Sai Kishore c Poddar b Mohanty 12; Gurjapneet Singh (not out) 0, Trilok Nag b Debabrata 1; Extras (lb-7, nb-1): 8; Total (all out in 86 overs): 286.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-46, 3-111, 4-182, 5-183, 6-234, 7-252, 8-281, 9-281.
Odisha bowling: Mohanty 18-6-51-3, Debabrata 19-4-37-3, Baral 13-2-35-1, Poddar 16-0-85-2, Samantaray 11-0-29-1, Badal 9-2-42-0.
Odisha — 1st innings: Swastik Samal lbw b Sonu 1, Shantanu Mishra c Jagadeesan b Gurjapneet 6, Subhranshu Senapati lbw b Sonu 12, Govinda Poddar lbw b Sonu 0, Biplab Samantaray b Sonu 1, Anil Parida c Jagadeesan b Sonu 56, Rajesh Dhuper c Jagadeesan b Trilok 8, Sambit Baral c Ajitesh b Trilok 36, Debabrata Pradhan b Vidyuth 15, Rajesh Mohanty c Trilok b Vidyuth 6, Badal Biswal (not out) 0; Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-1): 7; Total (all out in 51.2 overs): 148.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-15, 3-15, 4-21, 5-21, 6-43, 7-100, 8-132, 9-138.
Tamil Nadu bowling: Gurjapneet 15-3-37-1, Sonu 14.2-4-30-5, Trilok 9-2-36-2, Sai Kishore 9-2-27-0, Vidyuth 4-1-12-2.
Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: S.R. Athish (not out) 12, N. Jagadeesan lbw b Baral 4, P. Vidyuth (not out) 7; Extras (lb-2, nb-1): 3; Total (for 1 wkt in 17 overs): 26.
Fall of wicket: 1-17.
Odisha bowling: Mohanty 6-3-9-0, Debabrata 6-1-7-0, Baral 4-1-3-1, Poddar 1-0-5-0.
Published on Jan 23, 2026
