In a disappointing performance, star batsman Shubman Gill faced another setback as Punjab succumbed to Saurashtra’s spinners, losing by 194 runs on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B clash on Friday. Tasked with chasing a formidable target of 320 on a challenging pitch, Gill, who was seen as Punjab’s key player, managed to score only 14 runs off 32 balls before the team was bowled out for 125 in their second innings. This followed a first-innings dismissal where he went out for a two-ball duck. Both times, he fell victim to left-arm spinner Parth Bhut, who showcased his prowess with a remarkable 10-wicket haul (5-8). Meanwhile, in a Group C match, Indian pacers Akash Deep (3-31) and Mohammed Shami (2-27) excelled for Bengal, helping to restrict Services to 126-8 after Bengal declared at 519 all out, highlighted by Sudip Chatterjee’s remarkable double century (209). In another Group A match, Nitish Kumar Reddy of Andhra Pradesh was unable to make the most of his innings, scoring 35 off 48 balls as his team was all out for 228. Earlier, he also contributed with the ball, taking one wicket (1-51) as Vidarbha finished at 295, with Yash Rathod shining for Vidarbha with an impressive 115 off 191 balls.
