Ayush Badoni struck his second consecutive first-class hundred and Saransh Jain claimed a seven-wicket haul as Madhya Pradesh seized firm control on Day 1 of the third-round Ranji Trophy matches played across India on Monday, 26 October. The performances headlined a busy opening day that saw centuries, collapses, and rain interruptions across multiple venues.

Badoni's Back-to-Back Brilliance for Delhi

Batting all-rounder Ayush Badoni, 26, continued his stunning run of form with an unbeaten 106 off 122 balls — laced with 11 fours and two sixes — to guide Delhi to 309/5 against Jharkhand at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi. Coming fresh off a career-best 217 against Gujarat, this was his sixth first-class hundred. Notably, Badoni had also struck 205 against the same Jharkhand opposition in the 2024/25 season, cementing a remarkable record against them.

All-rounder Sumit Mathur provided sturdy support with an unbeaten 50, the pair sharing an unbroken 128-run stand for the sixth wicket. Mathur was fortunate to survive on 36 when a catch at long-on was ruled invalid after Anukul Roy was found to have overstepped.

Saransh's Seven-For Puts MP in Command at Indore

At Holkar Stadium in Indore, off-spinner Saransh Jain produced a devastating 7-40 to bundle Bihar out for a meagre 99. Madhya Pradesh, still searching for their first win of the season after two draws, responded emphatically, reaching 261/3 — a lead of 162 runs — by stumps. Wicketkeeper-batter Saksham Purohit remained unbeaten on 113, while opener Yash Dubey contributed 84.

Mumbai Twins Shine, J&K Frustrated

At the BKC Ground in Mumbai, Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck 114 off 180 balls with 13 fours and a six, and Musheer Khan made 109 off 185 balls with 12 fours and a six, sharing a 208-run second-wicket partnership to propel Mumbai to 290/3 against Haryana after being asked to bat first.

Defending champions Jammu and Kashmir, also yet to register a win, were held at bay by Priyanshu Moliya whose patient unbeaten 113 lifted Baroda to 259/6 at the Reliance Ground in Vadodara, rescuing the hosts from a precarious 197/6.

Key Performances Across Other Venues

Vidarbha reduced Goa to 84/6 as Nachiket Bhute tore through the top order with four wickets, but Darshan Misal and Yash Kasvankar revived the innings with a 104-run seventh-wicket stand, taking Goa to 204/8. Rain curtailed play in Thiruvananthapuram, where Kerala reduced Bengal to 172/6 in only 50 overs, with Aditya Sarwate taking three wickets.

In Mysuru, left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty claimed his third first-class five-wicket haul as Karnataka bowled Tripura out for 194 at the SDNR Wadiyar Stadium, though Karnataka closed at a wobbling 10/1. In Meghalaya's Plate group fixture, Ajay Duhan smashed 167 and Kishan Lyngdoh contributed 144, sharing an unbroken 308-run second-wicket stand as Meghalaya piled up 385/2 against Mizoram in Nadiad — a standout effort in the Plate division.

Wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh anchored Punjab with 81 off 126 balls and fifties from Salil Arora and Ramandeep Singh steered them to 289/6 against Hyderabad in Secunderabad. Meanwhile, Devendra Singh Bora's six-wicket haul helped Uttarakhand dismiss Rajasthan for 272 in Dehradun despite skipper Kartik Sharma's 73.

What to Watch on Day 2

With MP sitting on a commanding 162-run lead and Badoni's Delhi also in a strong position, the second day could prove decisive in multiple ties. The fitness of defending champions J&K and rain-prone venues like Thiruvananthapuram will also bear close watching as the round unfolds.