KL Rahul’s much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended in disappointment as he was dismissed for just 26 runs on a good batting pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during Karnataka’s clash against Haryana on Thursday.
Rahul, making his first appearance in the tournament since February 2020, came in at No. 3 after openers Aneesh KV and Mayank Agarwal put on a solid 45-run partnership. Rahul looked composed at the crease, hitting four boundaries during his 37-ball innings.
However, his return to domestic cricket was cut short when he was dismissed by Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj, who has been in impressive form this season.
Despite Rahul’s early exit, Karnataka continued to build a strong innings. He and Agarwal had added 54 runs for the second wicket before Rahul’s dismissal. Mayank Agarwal, intent on keeping the scoreboard ticking, played a swashbuckling knock, hitting three sixes and eight boundaries. He was just nine runs shy of a deserved century when he was dismissed by Anuj Thakral in the 48th over, leaving Karnataka in a commanding position.
After Mayank’s dismissal, 21-year-old Ravichandran Smaran, fresh off his double century against Punjab in the previous round, joined Devdutt Padikkal at the crease. Smaran’s solid form added further strength to Karnataka’s pursuit of a dominant total.
Rahul’s return to Ranji cricket was highly anticipated, but it has been a tough road for the star batter. His last domestic First-class appearance came in September during the Duleep Trophy, where he played for India A in a losing effort. Prior to this, his only recent Ranji Trophy outing was in 2020 when he scored 26 and 0 in a semifinal against Bengal.
KL Rahul had also missed Karnataka’s previous game against Punjab due to an elbow injury, adding to the long wait for his return to form in domestic cricket.
