Buoyed by a commanding outright victory over Tripura at home, Assam will look to carry their winning momentum into a stern third-round Ranji Trophy Group B clash against Saurashtra, beginning in Rajkot on Monday.
The seven-point haul from their first two matches has lifted Assam to third in the group standings, ahead of Saurashtra, who sit on six points from two draws secured through first-innings leads. Assam opened their campaign with a draw and a single point against Punjab before sealing a nine-wicket triumph over Tripura.
Assam have made two changes to their squad for the Rajkot encounter. Opener Pradyun Saikia comes in for Rishav Das, while right-arm medium pacer Hridip Deka replaces seamer Dipjyoti Saikia, who is recovering from an injury layoff. Rishav endured a disappointing start to the season, managing scores of 0 and 22 against Punjab before compiling 37 and 10 against Tripura. Pradyun will now get his opportunity at the top of the order as Assam search for greater solidity from their batting unit.
The Rajkot surface has traditionally offered assistance to spinners, and that could make young off-spinner Mohit Thakur the key man for the visitors. Mohit was Assam’s standout performer against Tripura, claiming eight wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
The challenge, however, is expected to be considerably tougher against a seasoned Saurashtra side led by India pacer Jaydev Unadkat. Their line-up boasts a wealth of experienced performers, including Ravindra Jadeja, Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Prerak Mankad, Harvik Desai, Chetan Sakariya and Parth Bhut.
Bhut starred in Saurashtra’s previous outing against Karnataka with eight wickets in the match, while Jadeja delivered an all-round show in the season opener against Chhattisgarh, scoring a century and picking up three wickets. Having sat out the Karnataka game, the India all-rounder is likely to return to the playing XI against Assam, a move that would further strengthen the hosts.
Despite boasting one of the strongest squads in the competition, Saurashtra are still searching for their first outright win of the season. Assam, meanwhile, will hope their growing confidence and recent success can help them spring a surprise against one of domestic cricket’s traditional powerhouses.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/ranji-trophy-confident-assam-face-stern-saurashtra-test-in-rajkot/articleshow/135196766.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-10-26 00:02:00
