Ranji Trophy 2026-27: Jaffer’s “khadoos” mantra meets spinner’s paradise in Hyderabad
Aniketh Reddy, who claimed five wickets, orchestrated Tripura’s collapse on a day where spinners thrived at the iconic Gymkhana ground. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Aniketh Reddy, who claimed five wickets, orchestrated Tripura’s collapse on a day where spinners thrived at the iconic Gymkhana ground. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
When Wasim Jaffer’s appointment as mentor to the Hyderabad team was sealed in ink, the natural expectation was for that quintessential Mumbai DNA to seep into the setup here. The most prolific run-scorer in Ranji Trophy history (12,038) brought with him a simple mantra: play as a unit, put the team above all else.
“Sir just asks us to be patient, he says khadoos khelna hai (play with grit),” Hyderabad’s left-arm spinner Aniketh Reddy disclosed.
Aniketh Reddy finished with a five-wicket haul on day 1 of the Ranji Trophy encounter between Hyderabad and Tripura. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Aniketh Reddy finished with a five-wicket haul on day 1 of the Ranji Trophy encounter between Hyderabad and Tripura. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
“He asked us to play hard and grind it, especially against bigger and better teams. We have to show that character to win and that is what we’re building.”
The home side didn’t have to grind on Sunday, though. The new red-soil track at Gymkhana did what it promised, and spin was king on day one of the Ranji clash between Hyderabad and Tripura. Tweakers claimed 13 of the 14 wickets to fall. Five of those went to Aniketh’s kitty.
“Earlier it was very hard to get an outright victory. Now if we play for four days, we’ll get the results. Tight bowling and good partnerships was crucial. We’re happy about that. In the long run, it will also help us to qualify [for the knockouts]. Let’s hope we’ll make it.”
The 26-year-old underlined the value of good preparation.
“We played a practice game here and we got a good understanding of the wicket. We also played a lot of matches – including the Super League – heading into this season, which has helped.”
Published on Oct 11, 2026
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