Ranji Trophy: Tamil Nadu open campaign in Jaipur amid questions over stability and pace experience

Tamil Nadu will open their Ranji Trophy campaign against Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, the report published on October 10, 2026, said. The squad received a late reinforcement when India all-rounder Washington Sundar joined the team on Friday ahead of the opener.

Until Tamil Nadu ended a 33-year wait for a second Ranji Trophy title in 1988 there was a long-running joke about the team’s fortunes; that historical context was raised again when former TNCA president N. Srinivasan asked at the 2023 TNCA annual day function, "if Vidarbha could win the trophy, why not Tamil Nadu, with one of the country’s best cricket ecosystems?" The rise of Jammu & Kashmir has since made that question harder to avoid. The upcoming fixture carries its own history: Rajasthan were Tamil Nadu’s opponents in the 2011-12 Ranji final, and both teams would hope this season takes them that far again.

Tamil Nadu’s new coach Yo Mahesh said on Saturday that frequent changes had denied the team stability in recent seasons. "There were a lot of changes happening consistently, which didn’t really help the team. When we have so much talent in the room, we need to trust them," he said. "We need to give them that security and a stable environment. That’s when their best is going to come. We need to crack the combination. Definitely, chopping and changing won’t happen that much (this season)."

The squad’s pace attack is described as lacking experience, with all-rounder Sonu Yadav identified as its most experienced member, "with just 10 First-Class matches." Yo Mahesh said the state has produced promising young quicks and framed this campaign as a starting point for them: "Some really good fast bowlers have been coming through the junior ranks. This is an attempt to give them a starting point. They have a lot of promise, but it will take some time. When it falls into place, it’s going to be something we can bank on for the next five years."

The presence of Washington Sundar was noted as a boost to skipper Sai Kishore ahead of the Jaipur opener. The squad change that followed saw pacer Esakkimuthu replace the injured Pranav Ragavendra.

Yo Mahesh was at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday as Tamil Nadu prepared for their Ranji Trophy opener against Rajasthan from Sunday.