Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B: Hyderabad to host Punjab at Gymkhana from Monday

Hyderabad will host Punjab in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B clash at the Gymkhana ground from Monday, with Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill having left their domestic sides for India’s tour of New Zealand.

Hyderabad, winners over Tripura and Andhra, has called up Mudassar Hussain as Siraj’s replacement, while Punjab — which beat Chhattisgarh by seven wickets after Assam offered a stubborn challenge in its opener — has added Anshul Chaudhary, Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa and Raghu Sharma as Gill and Gurnoor Brar make way. A turning pitch is expected for the contest; Punjab head coach Amit Uniyal told The Hindu: “Even we’re fine with a spinning surface. I don’t believe in playing on flat tracks. We believe that there should be a result [to the contest].”

Hyderabad’s leading bowling threat is Tanay Thyagarajann, who has taken most wickets (20) and recorded the best match figures (31-4-98-11 vs. Andhra), and who also posts the best strike-rate (17.5, among bowlers with at least 20 overs). He will operate alongside Aniketh Reddy and Ruthik Yadav as Hyderabad look to exploit the expected turn.

Punjab’s batting has already produced five centuries in the competition, while Hyderabad can draw encouragement from the three centuries Punjab has conceded. K. Himateja, fresh from his match-winning knock against Andhra, is set to spearhead Punjab’s batting charge.

On Hyderabad’s collective form, Uniyal added: “Most of our batters are taking responsibility. Anybody who is getting set is trying to finish the game. If you’re taking responsibility and building partnerships, you can obviously score big,” Amit said. He also acknowledged the influence of Ambati Rayudu’s arrival: “Since the time Ambati Rayudu joined (HCA), Hyderabad has been doing well. It has won both matches, and the confidence must be high. It doesn’t matter who wins, as long as cricket does.”

Punjab enter the fixture seeking maximum points after a three-season lull, while Hyderabad will view the home match as an opportunity to consolidate its position at the top of Elite Group-B. Hyderabad also has an additional home fixture against Chhattisgarh in this phase of the competition.

The teams meet at Hyderabad’s Gymkhana from Monday in a top-of-the-table Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B encounter that will directly affect both sides’ bids for qualification and points in the early stages of the campaign.