From Rahul to Siraj: How India’s Test players fared in Ranji opening round

India's Test cricketers experienced mixed fortunes during the opening round of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy after being directed by the BCCI to participate for their state sides. Key batters struggled, with KL Rahul scoring five runs across two innings for Karnataka, Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for a duck, and Sarfaraz Khan managing just one run for Mumbai. However, Saurashtra all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja excelled by scoring 102 runs and claiming three wickets against Chhattisgarh.

Several frontline bowlers also made meaningful contributions ahead of India's upcoming two-Test tour of New Zealand. Mohammed Siraj captained Hyderabad to an innings victory over Tripura, taking two wickets in the second innings, while Mohammed Shami took four first-innings wickets for Bengal. Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, and the injured Rishabh Pant did not feature in the opening round.