Ranji Trophy 2026/27: Brittle Kerala faces tough Gujarat test

Kerala players during practice session ahead of the Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Returning to the colossal Narendra Modi stadium - the venue of its historic semifinal thriller win from two seasons ago - Kerala will face a familiar challenge. It will need another towering performance to stand toe-to-toe with host Gujarat in the Elite Group C Ranji Trophy fourth round match on Monday.

Coming into the match after suffering a morale shattering 287-run defeat to Bengal at home, Kerala will need to improve on all fronts against Gujarat which after an underwhelming show on the road is eager to maximise its home advantage.

READ | Ranji Trophy 2026-27 points table

After opening the season with a 10-wicket win and a bonus point against Odisha, Gujarat stuttered, conceding the first innings leads to both Delhi and Maharashtra in the away matches. The host will look for a form reversal against Kerala in familiar environs.

Captain Chintan Gaja was wary of Kerala’s spinners who could be more than a handful on helpful conditions. “I reckon the surface will help spinners in the later stages of the match. So obviously we need to bat well in the first innings. We need to be a little more consistent with our batting. Kerala has three good spinners but we also have a balanced team. Siddharth Desai is in good form and I expect him to lead our attack,’’ said Gaja.

Kerala’s defeat against Bengal exposed the team’s core limitations. A brittle opening pair alongside an inconsistent middle order have hurt the side. The inability of the bowlers to polish off the opponent’s lower order has become a recurring theme this season. Kerala must improve on these fronts.

Kerala captain Vishnu Vinod admitted that a collective team failure resulted in the defeat to Bengal at home, but he remained confident in his team’s ability to bounce back against Gujarat. “Obviously Gujarat is a good side and they will come hard at us. We will look to play to our strengths and focus on executing the things within our control,’’ he said.