Abhishek hits 126 but Kerala remain behind Jharkhand after day three in Ranji Trophy

Abhishek P. Nair scored a century as Kerala reached 269 for six in reply to Jharkhand’s 587 on day three of their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 match at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur on October 13, 2026. Despite Abhishek’s 126 (204b, 10x4, 5x6), Kerala finished the day in a precarious position.

Abhishek’s pathway into first-class cricket began under unusual circumstances: he made his Ranji appearance last year as a concussion substitute for debutant opener A.K. Akarsh in Thiruvananthapuram, faced 87 balls in that second-innings cameo and helped Kerala secure a draw. Nearly a year on, he played a conventional Ranji match and compiled the century that features in the scoreline above.

Kerala’s reply showed promise early but faltered; the visitors were 204 for one at one stage before losing five wickets for an additional 45 runs. Overtaking Jharkhand’s 587 looked unlikely by stumps, and avoiding the follow-on — set at 436 — remained a realistic immediate objective that Kerala had yet to reach.

The Kerala top order started brightly, with Abhishek and Rohan Kunnummal batting with confidence and flair. Rohan Kunnummal was dismissed attempting an uncertain loft to long-off off Utkarsh Singh and was caught by Sushant Mishra, who ran in from the boundary and timed his dive to complete the catch.

Abhishek continued to bat sensibly while playing some delectable shots before he was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Manishi Singh. The report noted that spinners could have a big role to play on the final day.

Scores: Jharkhand — 1st innings: 587. Kerala — 1st innings: Abhishek P. Nair c & b Manishi 126, Rohan Kunnummal c Sushant b Utkarsh 44, Sachin Baby c Minz b Utkarsh 35, Vishnu Vinod lbw b Quraishi 15, Salman Nizar (batting) 17, Mohammed Azharuddeen c sub (Sagar) b Quraishi 0, Jalaj Saxena lbw b Utkarsh 7, Aditya Sarwate (batting) 13; Extras (b-4, lb-1, w-2, pen-5) 12; Total (for six wkts. in 90 overs): 269. Fall of wickets: 1-83, 2-204, 3-224, 4-232, 5-232, 6-249. Jharkhand bowling: Sahil 5-1-11-0, Sushant 7-0-39-0, Manishi 18-3-62-1, Utkarsh 24-5-54-3, Shekhar 6-0-27-0, Quraishi 19-7-38-2, Aditya 11-2-28-0.

Play resumes on Wednesday morning at the Keenan Stadium, and the Jharkhand men, the report said, have every reason to step onto the field with spring in their steps.