Ranji Trophy: Bengal close to third straight win after Pramanik strikes
Bengal are six wickets from victory against Kerala at Mangalapuram.
Bengal reduced Kerala to 53 for four while chasing 355 on day three of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match. Pradipta Pramanik took all four wickets to fall.
Key takeaways
- Pradipta Pramanik took four for 21 in Kerala's second innings.
- Kerala were 53 for four at stumps on day three, needing 355 more runs.
- Bengal made 350 and 198, while Kerala made 141 in the first innings.
- Bengal are seeking their third consecutive Ranji Trophy win.
- The match is at KCA Ground, Mangalapuram.
Bengal are six wickets away from a third straight Ranji Trophy win after Pradipta Pramanik struck again on day three at Mangalapuram.
Kerala were tottering at 53 for four while chasing a target of 355 set by Bengal in the Elite Group C match at the KCA stadium. Bengal had taken a 209-run first-innings lead after bowling Kerala out for 141.
Left-arm spinner Pradipta Pramanik took all four wickets to have fallen so far in Kerala’s second innings, finishing with figures of four for 21. Kerala needed another 355 runs on a wearing final-day wicket.
How Bengal built the position
3 overs to wrap up the Kerala first innings for 141. Pramanik was the wrecker-in-chief with four for 44, claiming three of the four wickets that fell in the first session. Mohammed Shami took three for 35 from 11 overs.
Shahbaz Ahmed, after his game-changing century, chipped in with two wickets. Bengal scored 350 in their first innings. Bengal did not enforce the follow-on, sacrificing a potential bonus point, to avoid batting on what could be a treacherous fourth-day pitch.
In the second innings, Bengal batters showed clear intent, taking calculated risks to score runs at a brisk pace, though they lost wickets at regular intervals while playing the high-risk game. D. Nidheesh and Aditya Saravte.
Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee continued to attack the spinners in the post-lunch session before Jalaj Saxena removed Easwaran. Saxena found his rhythm to pick up five wickets to stem the flow of runs. Bengal were all out for 198 in 46 overs.
What the sources say about the match and competition
The pitch revealed its true character on the third day, showing a distinct inclination to spinners. The tweakers accounted for 16 of the 18 wickets that fell on the penultimate day.
Bengal will hope to mop up the remainder of the Kerala line-up as quickly as possible on Thursday. If Bengal win, they will consolidate their position at the top with 18 points from three games, having got full points against Delhi and Services respectively.
The Ranji Trophy is an annual domestic first-class cricket championship played in India, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, with teams representing the various member associations of the BCCI taking part.
The 2026–27 Ranji Trophy is the 92nd season of the tournament, scheduled to take place from 11 October 2026 to 3 March 2027. Jammu and Kashmir are the defending champions after defeating Karnataka in the 2025–26 final to win their maiden Ranji title.
Brief scores from Bengal v Kerala
Team | First innings | Second innings |
|---|---|---|
Bengal | 350 | 198 |
Kerala | 141 | 53/4 |
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