Nishant Sindhu hits ton

Nishant Sindhu scored his first century of the season, but it was not enough to prevent Haryana from following on against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy on Day 3 at the MCA's BKC ground. Sindhu scored 105 not out, but Haryana were bowled out for 270 in their first innings. Mumbai had posted 430 all out in their first innings, with Tanush Kotian scoring 52 not out and Samant Jakhar taking 3/41. Mumbai enforced the follow-on, and at stumps Haryana were on 73/2 in their second innings, still needing 87 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Musheer Khan's all-round performance

Musheer Khan was the standout performer for Mumbai, picking up six wickets for 85 runs. Haryana resumed the day on 125/2, and the 94-run partnership between Nishant Sindhu and Dheeru Singh ended when Musheer bowled Singh for 45 off 100 balls. Musheer continued to take wickets, dismissing Parth Vats lbw for six off 25 balls just before lunch, marking his fifth wicket of the innings as Haryana went to the break at 191/5 after 75 overs. After lunch, Kanishk Chauhan joined Sindhu at the crease. Haryana were 199/5 after 80 overs when Mumbai took the new ball, with Sindhu batting on 66 and Chauhan on one. Haryana's lower order soon came under pressure as Kotian and Mulani added to Mumbai's wickets. Musheer completed his six-wicket haul when Aman Kumar was dismissed lbw for a duck off 16 balls. Musheer had already made an impact with the bat earlier in the match by scoring a century. His figures of 6/85 made him the first cricketer for Mumbai since Ravi Shastri to score a hundred and bag a fifer in a Ranji game. When asked about the comparison to Shastri, Musheer admitted he was unaware of it, saying: "It feels nice to know that." Musheer also spoke about his interest in bowling at the post-day conference, "If I am doing one session of batting, I like to do one session of bowling," he said. "I was a bowler when I was a kid."

Sindhu's century and Haryana's resistance

Sindhu reached his century off 245 balls after batting for 333 minutes, hitting eight fours and a six. He remained unbeaten on 105. When asked about adapting his game to the team's requirements, Sindhu told reporters: "My process remains the same. I play my game according to the demand of the team." Sindhu also spoke about how his batting has developed over time, explaining that he now has more shots at his disposal than he did earlier in his career. When asked about his mindset, he stated: "The demand was to bat long; the wicket was not completely flat." Sindhu added: "The wicket will deteriorate further, so I will have to bat with more focus tomorrow."

Competition context and what happens next

The Ranji Trophy is an annual domestic first-class cricket championship played in India, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with teams representing the various member associations of the BCCI taking part. The 2026–27 Ranji Trophy is the 92nd season of the tournament and is scheduled to take place from 11 October 2026 to 3 March 2027. Jammu and Kashmir are the defending champions. Nishant Sindhu is an Indian cricketer who plays for Haryana in domestic cricket and was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the auction for the 2023 Indian Premier League tournament. Haryana will continue their second innings on the next day, looking to avoid an innings defeat, while Mumbai will look to wrap up the match and secure a win.

Brief scores

Related on Apex Sports News

• Priyanshu Moliya hits record triple ton for Baroda in Ranji Trophy 2026-27

• Ranji Trophy 2026-27: Badoni hits second consecutive double century, equals world record

Sources

• RevSportz

• indianexpress.com

• Wikipedia: Nishant Sindhu (background)

• Wikipedia: Ranji Trophy (background)

• Wikipedia: 2026–27 Ranji Trophy (background)

• Photo: PDPics, Pixabay Content License (Pixabay)