After the tweakers spun a web around Assam’s batters on day one, Karnataka’s two ‘Aneeshs’— K.V. Aneesh and Aneeshwar Gautam – stole the limelight on day two in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the ACA Stadium here on Tuesday.

Aneesh’s maiden First Class century (142 batting, 248b, 10×4, 2×6) and Aneeshwar’s 83 (125b, 9×4, 3×6) guided Karnataka from its overnight score of 180 for two to 496 for five at stumps.

It was a pretty lukewarm first half hour as Mayank Agarwal and Aneesh easily negotiated Mohit Thakur’s spin from one end and Mukhtar Hussain’s pace from the other.

The brief period of lull soon gave way to Assam’s first wicket of the day as Mayank fell for 72 (121b, 10×4) to a rash shot in the 43rd over.

Mayank’s dismissal brought in Karun Nair, but the veteran was trapped lbw for 21 by Roshan Alam, bringing his short stay at the crease to an end.

Aneesh, unperturbed by the dismissal, used the pull to collect two maximums before reaching his fifty with an exquisite cover drive in the 56th over.

Aneeshwar was no less enterprising, signalling his intent with twin sixes off Roshan in the 59th.

The conditions turned more spin-friendly post lunch, but Aneesh and Aneeshwar persevered, albeit taking the defensive route.

Aneeshwar reached his fifty with a backfoot punch through covers post lunch, before Aneesh had his moment under the sun when he celebrated his century in the 92nd over.

Aneeshwar fell in the first over after tea but Manvanth Kumar showed why his hundred against Saurashtra wasn’t a one-off with a quickfire unbeaten fifty (53 batting, 63b, 5×4, 2×6).

Assam taking the second new ball in the 101st over did little to stall Karnataka’s momentum as it finished the day 361 runs ahead.

The scores: Assam — 1st innings: 135.

Karnataka — 1st innings: Rohan Patil c Sibsankar b Amlanjyoti 89, Mayank Agarwal c Denish b Mohit 72, K.L. Shrijith lbw b Amlanjyoti 19, K.V. Aneesh (batting) 142, Karun Nair lbw b Roshan, Aneeshwar Gautam lbw b Roshan 83, Manvanth Kumar (batting) 53; Extras (b-6, lb-7, nb-3, w-1): 17; Total (for five wkts. in 117 overs): 496.

Fall of wickets: 1-129, 2-157, 3-207, 4-253, 5-401.

Assam bowling: Mukhtar 13-1-52-0, Mohit 25-3-92-1, Amlanjyoti 34-4-121-2, Hridip 10-0-58-0, Sarupam 3-0-19-0, Roshan 27-3-126-2, Denish 5-0-15-0.

Along the winding road leading to the KCA cricket stadium in Mangalapuram, his face stares at you from the numerous flex boards.

After all, the 27-year-old Krishna Devan is the toast of his hometown after he became the second most expensive player (₹11.20 lakh) in the recent Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction.

Though he lives just a stone’s throw away from the KCA stadium, cricket entered Krishna Devan’s life at a relatively late age of 21. He was a self-taught javelin thrower and Kerala University champion before a shoulder injury brought a premature end to his athletics career.

“I tried my luck with cricket after completing my BSC in Mathematics. I used to play tennis ball cricket, so transitioning to the original cricket ball was easy for me,’’ Krishna Devan explained.

The youngster was forced to take on menial jobs to pursue his passion because of his family’s financial situation. However, after breaking two bats and losing a significant amount of money in stock trading, Krishna Devan found himself at a crossroads.

In a desperate midnight impulse, he packed his bags, rode his bike to Bengaluru and spent the next eight months working as a food delivery executive. “I needed money and cricket was the last thing on my mind when I arrived in Bengaluru,’’ he said.

Yet, he couldn’t stay away from the sport for long. He made friends with local club cricketers and played in tournaments during his spare time. Sagar, a club patron who got to know of Krishna Devan’s struggles, gifted him a full kit and five bats, urging him to return home and play.

Krishna Devan rejoined Kids Cricket Club and rapidly earned a reputation as a terrifying power-hitter. Despite a painful snub in the inaugural KCL season, he forced his way into the spotlight during the 2025 President’s Cup semifinal, smashing four sixes in the final over to steal an impossible win for KCA Lions.

Calicut Globstars snapped him up for a modest ₹75,000 in the second season. Krishna Devan didn’t get many opportunities, but his breathtaking unbeaten 11-ball 49 against Aries Kollam Sailors underlined his immense potential.

A thumb injury, which required surgery, sidelined him for five months this year. But he returned in style, playing match-winning knocks for Thiruvananthapuram in the NSK Trophy T20 tournament in June. The KCL auction proved to be a life-changing milestone for Krisha Devan.

“It was unbelievable. I was watching the auction on TV and felt happy when my family finally acknowledged me. Now I will have to live up to the expectations and do well in the upcoming KCL”.