Stars Faulter! Yashasvi Jaiswal And KL Rahul Have Poor Outing During Ranji Trophy 2026-27

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul made disappointing starts to the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 on Sunday. Jaiswal fell for a duck and Rahul made four on the opening day of the first-class tournament. Jaiswal was out after 13 deliveries for Mumbai against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium, while Rahul was dismissed in the fourth over for Karnataka against Andhra in Vijayawada.

Karnataka's top order came under early pressure as pacers Kavuri Saiteja and KV Sasikanth struck quickly. The visitors, last season's runners-up, were four down early, and Rahul's wicket in the fourth over deepened their troubles.

Their failures drew extra notice because both players had India commitments looming soon. The first day also had broader implications for team plans, with Mumbai monitoring Jaiswal's wicketkeeping prospects and Karnataka needing a response after the poor start.

Jaiswal's Domestic Return

Jaiswal returned after a spell around the India set-up. He was included in India's ODI squad for the West Indies series, though he did not appear in any of the three games.

The 24-year-old's previous outing was India's two-Test trip to Sri Lanka, where he managed 77 runs in three innings. That duck marked an early setback for Mumbai in the new Ranji campaign.

He was also spotted keeping wickets in a practice game before Mumbai's opener. Mumbai captain Siddhesh Lad told on Thursday: "He wants to eventually, in future, keep wickets for maybe Mumbai or go on to keep wickets for the Indian team, is what he is aiming for. That is what I feel, but I haven't got any clarity on that," he said.

Rahul's Recent Form

Rahul arrived after a strong ODI series against the West Indies.

He struck an unbeaten 82-ball century in his lone innings as India won the series 2-1. It was his ninth hundred in the format, and he was later dismissed for four for Karnataka on day one.

Shubman Gill also sat out the opening round. The India captain missed Punjab's game against Assam in New Chandigarh, but he may feature in the side's second match against Chhattisgarh, which starts on Sunday.

Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar and Manav Suthar are among the other players with international experience featuring in the opening round.

India A Overlap

A fixture overlap could affect several players' availability. India has picked 11 Test players, including Rahul, Jaiswal, Washington and Devdutt Padikkal, in a 15-member squad for the three-match unofficial Test series against New Zealand A beginning October 24.

The tour opener is set for Lincoln from October 24 to 28, the second game for Christchurch from October 31 to November 3, and the last one returns to Lincoln from November 7 to 10.

India's ODI series against New Zealand starts on November 4, with the other matches slated for November 7 and 10. The overlap could limit Rahul, Jaiswal and Washington for India A if they are needed by the senior side.

Arunachal-Nagaland Match Cancelled

The opening round was also hit by an administrative dispute in Arunachal Pradesh, and the Plate Group game against Nagaland in Ahmedabad was cancelled.

A continuing legal fight inside the Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Association has left the state body without a working authority, which prevented Arunachal Pradesh from fielding a side.