All-rounder Vijay Shankar blasted an unbeaten 150 as Tamil Nadu closed in on an outright win after declaring at 305 for 5 and reducing Chandigarh to 113 for 5 on day 3 of their Elite Group D Ranji Trophy match here on Saturday. In a clash between the two table-toppers, Shankar struck 12 fours and five sixes in his 171-ball innings, while Narayan Jagadeesan contributed 89 at the top as Tamil Nadu recovered from a mini-collapse to set Chandigarh a daunting target of 403.

This century marked Shankar’s 11th first-class ton and second of the season.

Chandigarh, who had been bowled out for 204 in their first innings, faced a tough challenge as they were reduced to 113 for 5 in 33 overs. Skipper Manan Vohra was battling on 47, but his team still required 290 runs to win.

At stumps, Vohra was at the crease with Vishu Kashyap (4).

For Tamil Nadu, skipper Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2/38) and S Ajith Ram (2/46) took two wickets each, while M Mohammed (1/13) accounted for one.

Resuming the day at 27 for 2, overnight batter Jagadeesan witnessed Ajith Ram (7) and Baba Indrajith (3) being dismissed cheaply.

Shankar then joined Jagadeesan and forged a 152-run partnership to steady the innings. Andre Siddarth also contributed with an unbeaten 36.

Chhattisgarh lead by 59 runs against Jharkhand

In Jamshedpur, Anuj Tiwary (66) and Ashutosh Singh (64) scored fifties as Chhattisgarh reached 205 for 4 in their second innings, taking a 59-run lead against Jharkhand on day 3.

Jharkhand, resuming at 304 for 4, were all out for 376 in 118.2 overs.

Sumit Ruikar (4/87) was the pick of the bowlers, while Gagandeep Singh and Ashish Chouhan took two wickets each. Jharkhand had gained a 146-run first-innings lead.

At stumps, Sanjeet Desai was on 23, and Gagandeep Singh was yet to get off the mark.

Ghadigaonkar hits 100 not out in Assam’s 175 for 4

Sumit Ghadigaonkar (100*) cracked an unbeaten century, while Sibsankar Roy (56) also made a fifty as Assam reached 175 for 4 after dismissing Railways for 250 on day 3.

At stumps, Ghadigaonkar was batting alongside Swarupam Puryayastha (15).

Assam now trails by 75 runs.

Earlier, former India A keeper-batter Upendra Yadav (103) completed his century, and Bhargav Merai hit a half-century as Railways added another 52 runs to their overnight score of 198 for 5 before being bowled out.

Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai’s spellbinding performance was the highlight as Gujarat secured a dominant innings and 28 run victory over Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match here on Saturday.

Gujarat vs Uttarakhand

Desai’s career-best figures of 9/36 had single-handedly dismantled the visitors’ batting lineup to bowl them out for 111 in the first innings.

In reply, Gujarat’s Manan Hingrajia (116) and Jaymeet Patel (121) piled on the runs as they posted a formidable 393, taking a substantial 282-run lead.

Uttarakhand folded for 254 in their second essay as Gujarat wrapped up the match with more than a day to spare.

Desai wasn’t done yet as he continued to torment Uttarakhand batters, claiming 3 more wickets in the second innings to finish with a remarkable match haul of 12/113.

He was well-supported by Rinkesh Vaghela (3/63), Vishal Jayswal (3/71).

The only resistance came for Shashwat Dangwal who scored 101 from 129 balls after skipper Ravikumar Samarth showed some positive signs at the top with his resolute 162-ball 76.

Rajasthan vs Vidarbha

The bonus point win helped Gujarat (26) climb to the second spot, two points behind Vidarbha who led a strong second innings fightback in an away match against Rajasthan.

Skipper Akshay Wadkar (102 batting) and Yash Rathod who missed a century by two runs led their fight back to take them to 358/7 in their second essay after conceding a first innings lead.

Vidarbha now lead by 258 runs, setting up an intense final day’s play.

Brief Scores:

Tamil Nadu: 301 and 305/5 declared in 72.5 overs (Vijay Shankar 150; Jagjit Singh Sandhu 3/43). Chandigarh 1st Innings: 204 & 113/5 in 33 overs (Manan Vohra 47; Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore 2/38) Chhattisgarh: 230 & 205/4 in 63 overs (Anuj Tiwary 66, Ashutosh Singh 64; Utkarsh Singh 2/30). Jharkhand 1st Innings: 376 all out in 118.2 overs (Kumar Suraj 104, Sharandeep Singh 69, Utkarsh Singh 62; Sumit Ruikar 4/87).

Assam: 175/4 in 52 overs (Sumit Ghadigaonkar 100 not out; Himanshu Sangwan 2/44). Railways: 250 all out in 85.1 overs (Upendra Yadav 103, Mukhtar Hussain 4/24). 

In Ahmedabad: Uttarakhand 111 and 254 in 87.3 overs (Shashwat Dangwal 101, Ravikumar Samarth 76; Rinkesh Vaghela 3/63, Vishal Jayswal 3/71, Siddharth Desai 3/77) lost to Gujarat 393 by an innings and 28 runs.

In Hyderabad: Hyderabad 565 in 168.5 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 177, Kodimela Himateja 76, Abhirath Reddy 73, Saranuu Nishanth 71, Rahul Radesh 52; Akash Vashist 4/92, Mukul Negi 3/98) vs Himachal Pradesh 275 (Innesh Mahajan 68, Shubham Arora 53, Akash Vashist 46; Ankitreddy 5/72) and 21 for no loss.

In Puducherry: Andhra 303 and 248/5; 69 overs (Karan Shinde 86 batting; Ankit Sharma 2/56). Puducherry 260; 79 overs (Mohit Kale 60, Arun Karthik 59, Aman Khan 50; Prithvi Raj 5/64).

In Jaipur: Vidarbha 165 and 358/7; 122 overs (Akshay Wadkar 102, Yash Rathod 98, Nachiket Bhute 57). Rajasthan 265.

The 33-year-old Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar stuck to his word, but when he eventually found out that he will be heading to the Chennai Super Kings, which pipped his former team Gujarat Titans with a bid of ₹1.2 crore, he was chuffed
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

On the eve of last weekend’s IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Vijay Shankar was asked whether he would be keeping an eye on the proceedings that will determine his future in the marquee T20 competition. “No, I won’t be watching. Nothing is in our control anyway,” was his quick response.

The 33-year-old Tamil Nadu all-rounder stuck to his word, but when he eventually found out that he will be heading to the Chennai Super Kings, which pipped his former team Gujarat Titans with a bid of ₹1.2 crore, he was chuffed. Apart from it being the franchise of his home State, it is also the franchise where he started his IPL journey, though he played just one game in 2014 when he was very much a rookie.

“I bowled one over for CSK in 2014. I didn’t bat. For me to have started my IPL career there and to go back to that team after 10 years is really special. It is a different feel altogether to play at Chepauk in the IPL. I have played there a few times when I was in the opposition,” Vijay told The Hindu. “There’s an aura that CSK has. The way they play cricket is different from other teams.”

After that lone appearance for the five-time IPL champion, he went on to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. He enjoyed some success with the Gujarat Titans particularly in 2023 — in 14 matches, he contributed 301 runs at 37.63 while striking at 160.11.

For the moment, he has his focus on doing well in Tamil Nadu’s domestic campaign. While he was left out of the team for the first two Ranji Trophy matches of the season, he has managed to make his experience count since making a comeback.

“It was very tough to sit out for two games. But you need to keep doing your best. That is the work ethic that has been instilled in me from my early days,” he said.

Vijay Shankar bats against Hardik Pandya.© X/Twitter

The IPL 2025 mega auction retention rules were announced by the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council on Sunday. Alongside the rule that IPL franchises can retain upto a maximum of six players including one uncapped player, there was a twist. An old law – that had been there since 2008 but removed in 2022 – was reinstated ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. This is the law that allows Indian players who haven’t played an international game in more than five years to be retained as ‘uncapped player’.

IPL franchises have to retain a minimum of one uncapped player, at Rs 4 crore, if they choose to keep all six retentions. The Governing Council’s new law opens up the door for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to retain legendary India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a small amount.

“A capped Indian player will become uncapped, if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only,” the BCCI said in a release.

However, Dhoni isn’t the only player who can be retained in this way. Here is the full list of nine players who have played internationals for India, but can be retained as ‘uncapped’:

Piyush Chawla – Mumbai Indians

The veteran leg-spinner last played for India in 2012, and could be a spin solution for five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians.

Sandeep Sharma – Rajasthan Royals

The pacer showed glimpses of great form during IPL 2024, and can be a smart retention by Rajasthan, who have appointed Rahul Dravid as head coach.

Rishi Dhawan – Punjab Kings

The all-rounder played three ODIs and one T20I for India in 2016, and therefore can be retained as uncapped.

Mayank Markande – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Only 26, spinner Mayank Markande used to be an IPL regular for Mumbai Indians, and can be retained cheaply by Sunrisers.

Vijay Shankar – Gujarat Titans

Once selected for India’s squad in the 2019 World Cup, Vijay Shankar has not played for India since that year.

Mohit Sharma – Gujarat Titans

Like Vijay Shankar, Mohit is also a former World-Cupper for India (2015). Having picked up 40 wickets over the last two IPL seasons, he could be a handy retention.

Amit Mishra – Lucknow Super Giants

The ageless Amit Mishra could be a smart retention by LSG, particularly with the Impact Player rule set to stay.

Karn Sharma – Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Having played just one Test, one T20I and two ODIs for India, he is an ‘uncapped’ retention option for Virat Kohli‘s RCB.

MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings

In what is surely a move waiting to happen, Dhoni can be retained by CSK for no more than Rs 4 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction.