Jharkhand vow to 'go all out' against Delhi as Shikhar Mohan answers India A call

Jharkhand will look to play an aggressive brand of cricket and maximise their points haul when they take on Delhi in their Elite Group C Ranji Trophy clash at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi starting Monday. With just two rounds remaining before the Ranji Trophy pauses for the BCCI's white-ball competitions, the hosts know a strong finish to the first phase could significantly boost their qualification hopes.

Jharkhand eye points in a tightly packed group

Having collected four points from their opening two matches, Jharkhand find themselves in the middle of a tightly-packed group, and their coach Ratan Kumar made no secret of the intent heading into the Delhi fixture.

“We need points now,” Ratan Kumar told TOI ahead of the contest. “Delhi are a good batting side, a balanced side and have always been a challenging team. Our focus is that we go all out in this match because good points here will help us going forward.”

Jharkhand began their campaign by securing three points against Kerala after taking a first-innings lead at home, before fighting hard for a draw against Maharashtra in Pune.

Mohan's absence leaves a void at the top

Young opener Shikhar Mohan starred in the escape act against Maharashtra with a century in the second innings, but the hosts will be without him this week after his maiden India A call-up for the final two unofficial Tests in New Zealand.

While Mohan's absence leaves a sizeable void at the top of the order, Ratan is confident others can step up.

“Shikhar was batting very well and has gone for India duty. But we cannot keep thinking about the player who is not there. The boys who get opportunities now have to make them count,” he said.

Aryaman Sen is expected to be among the contenders to fill the opening slot, while veteran batter Kumar Deobrat is also under consideration. The coach also backed opener Sharandeep Singh, whose highest score this season remains 33.

“He has not got the returns he would have wanted in the first two matches, but we have full confidence in him,” Ratan said.

Delhi banking on Badoni and Arya

Delhi, led by Ayush Badoni, arrive with just three points from two games and will also see the fixture as an opportunity to move up the table. Badoni and Priyansh Arya are the visitors' biggest batting threats after producing massive scores in the drawn match against Gujarat, with Arya falling agonisingly short of a double century on 199 and Badoni hammering 217.

That Gujarat encounter, reported on 21 October, was a match Delhi largely controlled: Delhi's Hrithik Shokeen took five wickets for 143 runs, with Sumit Mathur claiming two, as Delhi enforced the follow-on. Delhi collected three points from the draw to sit sixth in the eight-team standings, while Gujarat took one.

Delhi's other outing in this season's competition, reported on 14 October, ended in defeat, with Bengal chasing down 89 to open their campaign with a win.