Ranji Trophy: Tamil Nadu to host Railways in Elite Group‑D at MAC Stadium

Tamil Nadu will host Railways in an Elite Group-D Ranji Trophy clash at the MAC Stadium on October 25, 2026, with the hosts targeting another outright win and Railways seeking to convert draws into victories. The match follows a positive start to Tamil Nadu's 2026-27 campaign and a pair of draws for the visitors.

Tamil Nadu, twice winners of the Ranji Trophy, managed only a single title last season but have begun 2026-27 with eight points from two games, seven of those coming from an innings victory over Uttarakhand. Their opening fixture, an away draw against Rajasthan in Jaipur, yielded only one point after Tamil Nadu conceded the first-innings lead.

Bhargav Merai’s Railways side have taken two points from two draws after facing the same opponents in reverse order, posting 470 against Uttarakhand at the Brabourne Stadium and 497 against Rajasthan in the Pink City. Railways head coach Syed Zakaria Zuffri admitted concerns about the bowling unit: “We have a bit of inexperience in the bowling attack… that is our only concern. All the bowlers are young. However, we achieved three consecutive outright wins with a similar attack last season. It is just a matter of time,” Zakaria said on Sunday.

The Tamil Nadu attack arrives on the back of dismissing Uttarakhand for 134 and 113 in their recent fixture and will rely on left-arm options Gurjapneet Singh (four wickets in the first innings), Sai Kishore (10 in the match) and Ajith Ram (four in the second essay). Team management expect the seamers to adapt if overcast conditions produce swing, with one pace bowler likely to shoulder a heavier workload.

Both sides completed outdoor practice on Saturday but trained indoors on Sunday because of cloud and rain, interrupting on-field preparations. Players and support staff from each side expressed the hope that weather will improve ahead of the fixture.

The Elite Group-D encounter at the MAC Stadium is the immediate focus for both teams as the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy fixture list continues; the two sides will aim for a decisive result when play begins.