Ranji Trophy: Karnataka seek first win against Tripura

Karnataka will play Tripura in their third Ranji Trophy match of the season at SDNR Wadiyar Stadium in Mysuru from Monday, The Hindu reported. The side has two points from as many outings and is trying to recover after losses to Saurashtra and Andhra. New Indian Express said Karnataka are in sixth place in Group B and face a precarious position in the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy campaign.

Why it matters

Karnataka were last season’s beaten finalists, losing to Jammu and Kashmir in the final, according to background on the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. They have missed the first-innings lead in both games this season, costing them vital points. New Indian Express said one more misstep could end their hopes. The Ranji Trophy is the premier first-class championship in India, organised by the BCCI.

What happens next

Karnataka face Tripura at SNRW Cricket Stadium on Monday, with rain in the forecast, New Indian Express reported. Shreyas Gopal said the team would decide on an extra pacer or extra spinner on Sunday night or Monday morning. Vidwath Kaverappa and V Vyshak are expected to lead the bowling attack, while Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair carry the batting responsibility.

Team news and conditions

Rain could disrupt Karnataka’s plans. There was a light drizzle in Mysuru on Sunday morning, but it was not enough to prevent the teams from going through their practice sessions. Karnataka will look to Vidwath Kaverappa to exploit any assistance the conditions offer the pacers. V. Vyshak’s express pace could trouble the Tripura batters, while Abhilash Shetty and Manvanth Kumar provide further options with the ball.

Batting and captaincy

In the absence of K.L. Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and R. Smaran, the responsibility with the bat will once again rest on Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair and in-form opener Rohan Patil. Shreyas Gopal said Karnataka would continue to adopt a positive approach. “The thought process in a Karnataka team is to always go for a win,” Shreyas said.

Recent results and fitness

The all-rounder admitted that Karnataka had missed a “couple of tricks” in conceding the first-innings lead to Saurashtra last week. “We should have got the lead, especially in the last match. We missed a couple of tricks. But coming into this game, if we can put some pressure early on, we can slide our way to a first victory,” he said. The 33-year-old, who took a blow to the hand against Saurashtra, said he was fit to play. Mayank, who did not bat in the second innings after being struck on the finger, was also match-fit, Shreyas added.

Opposition and season context

Tripura comes into the fixture on the back of two defeats and is one of the weaker Elite sides. 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), and teams representing the various member associations of the BCCI take part in the tournament. The 2026–27 Ranji Trophy is the 92nd season of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first-class cricket tournament in India. It is scheduled to take place from 11 October 2026 to 3 March 2027. Jammu and Kashmir are the defending champions.

Karnataka’s season position and key players

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• BCCI-CA umpire exchange sends Treloar to Ranji Trophy and Joshi to Australia

Sources

• thehindu.com

• newindianexpress.com

• Photo: Tungtap, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)