Ranji Trophy: Shubman Gill fails twice in Punjab Defeat, Sarfaraz shines with Double Hundred

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Shubman Gill endured twin dismissals as Punjab crumbled to a 194-run loss against Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B clash at Rajkot's Niranjan Shah Stadium.

The match concluded after two days dominated by spin bowling on a challenging pitch. Punjab, with the defeat, have now bowed out of the knockout race.

Saurashtra posted 172 in their first innings before enforcing the follow-on, then racked up 286 in the second thanks to late contributions from Prerak Mankad (56 off 41), Ravindra Jadeja (46 off 44), Parth Bhut (37*), and Hetvik Kotak (39 off 39). Punjab managed just 139 in reply, trailing by 33 runs, with no substantial partnerships, before folding for 125 while chasing 320, handing Saurashtra a comprehensive victory.

Parth Bhut claimed a match-winning 10-wicket haul, dismantling Punjab's batting in both innings. Dharmendra Jadeja complemented with a five-wicket haul in the second innings, as spinners accounted for most of the 40 wickets across both sides over the two days.

Shubman Gill struggles Twice

India's Test captain Gill, batting at No. 4, registered a two-ball duck in the first innings, lbw to left-arm spinner Parth Bhut. He fared marginally better the second time around with 14 off 32 balls, again trapped lbw by Bhut, extending his lean Ranji patch despite high expectations from the star batter.

The India captain is expected to play the next match for Punjab as well. Gill is playing no part in the T20 World Cup, which means he will only return to action in the IPL 2026 for the Gujarat Titans.

Sarfaraz Khan dazzles with 200

For Sarfaraz Khan, the Ranji Trophy continues to be productive. He has been in stellar form across domestic tournaments, and the Ranji return sees the continuation of his purple patch.

The ignored India batter scored a double century for Mumbai in their match against Hyderabad. Sarfaraz scored a scintillating 227 runs, hitting 19 fours and 9 sixes. Mumbai captain Siddhesh Lad also scored a century.