Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Punjab eyes success through local stars against Samson-less Kerala
Punjab will be eager to show it is more than a mere confluence of Indian Premier League (IPL) stars and put together a concerted effort when it takes on Kerala in a second-round Group B Ranji Trophy fixture at the PCA New Cricket Stadium Ground B from Saturday.
Its big names – Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera – did not live up to expectations in the season-opener against Madhya Pradesh, which eventually led to Punjab being put to the grind for 146 overs on the field.
Returning home, however, does not guarantee a change in form.
Punjab is winless in its three fixtures at this venue. In two of those three games, it could not secure a first-innings lead.
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Punjab constantly tweaked its opening salvo last season in a bid to mend its ailing batting run. Jaskaranvir Singh Paul had notched up a century at the top last season, and the 22-year-old will hope his promotion up the order this time lasts longer.
Uday Saharan was the sole Punjab batter to hit a fifty in the opening round. A former India Under-19 captain, Saharan heralded Punjab to the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy last season.
He also amassed 774 runs in 15 innings in that tournament, and has the trappings of an emerging talisman in Punjab’s batting.
Lower down the order, Punjab could benefit if Dhir and Wadhera do not cling to their reputation in the shorter formats, giving attritional methods a shot.
Punjab’s batting will be all the more wary against the visiting Kerala pacers, who had inflicted a top-order collapse on Maharashtra in the first round. In the three First-Class games at New Chandigarh, pacers have claimed 48 out of the 76 wickets.
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Kerala’s pacers were mere bystanders during the side’s eight-wicket triumph over Punjab last year on a spin-friendly wicket in Thumba. But M.D. Nidheesh and Basil N.P. would be relishing the prospect of the surface having life this time around.
However, it was Kerala’s batters that let the side down when it conceded a first-innings lead to Maharashtra. Akshay Chandran, B. Aparjith and Sachin Baby managed single-digit scores at the top of the order. The trio will be expected to pull their weight now, especially after Sanju Samson’s departure for national duty.
Among its left-handed batters, Chandran, Sachin and Salman Nizar, Kerala has the wares to take on the left-arm orthodox Prerit Dutta and leg-break of Raghu Sharma once the shine wears off.
Published on Oct 24, 2025
