RANJI TROPHY | Middle-order heavy hitters in focus as Kerala takes on Gujarat

Gujarat vs Kerala in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semifinal, featuring middle-order stars and spinners, at Narendra Modi Stadium.

It will be a battle between the middle-order heavy lifters when Gujarat takes on Kerala in the first semifinal of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Monday.

Both teams have banked on contributions from the mid-pack to bail them out of trouble through the premier domestic red-ball competition — their quarterfinal wins being an illustration.

While Gujarat’s batters locked themselves on the crease to bat Saurashtra out of reckoning in Rajkot, Kerala needed a stubborn 256-ball association for the seventh wicket to earn a draw with a first-innings lead.

Salman Nizar and Mohammed Azharuddeen, the orchestrators of that match-winning partnership, are also the leading run-scorers for the southern side this season, with 555 and 424 runs respectively. The team will hope for more contributions from skipper Sachin Baby and experienced opener Rohan Kunnummal to ease the pressure on Nizar and Co.

Baba Aparajith, who was brought in ahead of the season from neighbour Tamil Nadu, will continue to miss out following a calf injury sustained during the group stage encounter against Madhya Pradesh.

For the host, Jaymeet Patel has had a ground-breaking maiden season in First Class cricket, tallying 582 runs in eight matches, with two hundreds and four half-centuries. Manan Hingrajia and Umang Kumar also have flourished with the bat to counter the lean season encountered by veteran Priyank Panchal.

Spinners have called the shots for both teams in the bowling department. Siddharth Desai has scalped 35 wickets at an average of 23.40 for Gujarat, while Kerala’s professional stars — Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate — have picked 60 wickets between them.