Ranji Trophy 2026/27: Bengal begins season with win over Delhi

Bengal's Aamir Gani celebrates after taking the wicket of Delhi's Anuj Rawat, right, on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match. | Photo Credit: PTI

Bengal relied on its spinners’ combined yield of seven wickets and its openers’ brisk chase to record a hard-earned nine-wicket win over Delhi and grab six points in its Ranji Trophy opener at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground here on Wednesday.

Starting its second innings from 101 for three, Delhi rode on its skipper Ayush Badoni’s brilliant knock (85, 134b, 10x4) to post 277 and set Bengal 89 to win in the last session. The home team crossed the line in 15.3 overs.

Following his five-wicket haul, Badoni led Delhi’s fight with his bat. He and his overnight left-handed partner Anuj Rawat (39, 76b, 7x4) drove and swept well to consolidate with a vital 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket on a slow pitch.

Ranji Trophy Round 1, Day 4 - As it happened

Off-spinner Aamir Gani used the rough to provide the breakthrough. Rawat was bowled around his legs while trying a reverse sweep.

Retired hurt overnight, Yash Dhull added 45 with Badoni as Delhi erased the deficit.

But at the stroke of lunch, part-timer Sumanta Gupta’s off-break ball jumped to hit Dhull’s pad and brushed his gloves on its way to first slip.

Delhi lost three quick wickets after the break. Badoni’s dismissal, with left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik finding his outside edge from over the wicket, followed by the fall of Dev Lakra and Hrithik Shokeen to Gani and Pramanik respectively, made the host optimistic.

Delhi tail-enders frustrated Bengal for 20 overs before the inevitable.

Bengal openers Abhimanyu Easwaran (34 n.o., 40b, 2x4) and Ankur Paul (38, 41b, 3x4) collected 64 runs at a healthy rate. While captain Easwaran rotated the strike, the diminutive debutant executed big hits, including a stunning straight six off Divij Mehra, to deflate the pressure. When Paul holed out, the task was a mere formality for Bengal.

“Gupta has a different trajectory. I introduced him to exploit the rough,” said Abhimanyu, while also praising Paul’s innings.

For its next two matches against Services and Kerala, Bengal will be without its two key pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who will join the India ‘A’ squad for its upcoming New Zealand tour.

But it will be boosted by the return of all-rounder all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed, who had been sidelines due to injury.

The scores

Delhi -- 1st innings: 240

Bengal -- 1st innings: 429

Delhi -- 2nd innings: Sarthak Ranjan b Akash 3, Sanat Sangwan b Pramanik 25, Yash Dhull c Abhimanyu b Gupta 22, Ayush Doseja c sub (Gandhi) b Mukesh 19, Ayush Badoni c Abhimanyu b Pramanik 85, Anuj Rawat b Gani 39, Dev Lakra st Porel b Gani 13, Hrithik Shokeen b Pramanik 8, Divij Mehra c Porel b Shami 21, Navdeep Saini (not out) 20, Simarjeet Singh b Gupta 11; Extras (b-6, lb-3, nb-1, w-1): 11; Total (in 106.2 overs): 277

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-51, 3-59, 4-154, 5-199, 6-213, 7-225, 8-225, 9-256

Bengal bowling: Shami 18-7-29-1, Akash 16-5-29-1, Mukesh 12-4-34-1, Gani 24-4-84-2, Pramanik 33-11-72-3, Gupta 3.2-0-20-2

Bengal -- 2nd innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran (not out) 34, Ankur Paul c Lakra b Shokeen 38, Sudip Gharami (not out) 16: Extras (w-1): 1; Total (for one wkt. In 15.3 overs): 89

Fall of wicket: 1-64

Delhi bowling: Badoni 2-0-11-0, Mehra 4-0-18-0, Shokeen 4-0-27-1, Simarjeet 2-0-18-0, Saini 3-0-13-0, Ranjan 0.3-0-2-0