The 2024-25 Ranji Trophy got underway last year. India’s premier domestic red-ball competition was split into separate phases in a one-of-a-kind arrangement. This entailed the initial one being played in October and November (first five rounds) and the second half scheduled to be carried out in January and February this year (sixth and seventh rounds followed by the semi-finals and the final).
Like any other season, the ongoing one has seen its share of duels between bat and ball. There have been both budding and seasoned batters who have been in rich run-scoring nick. However, a few batters just have not gone going this edition. Quite a few of such batters have just not been able to get into their groove.
Top 5 batters who flopped in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 (as of 24/01/25):
5. Deepak Hooda
Deepak Hooda started this season with a bang. In the very first game against Puducherry, he played a fighting 128-run knock in Rajasthan’s first innings. Only one other batter could score over 30 in the innings.
However, his season has only gone south from that point onward. The subsequent six innings have resulted in just 65 runs for him. Hooda, normally quite a reliable and seasoned professional, would be hoping for an upturn in form going forward.
4. Anustup Majumdar
On a fresh and seaming M. Chinnaswamy Stadium deck, Anustup Majumdar played brilliantly well to register a 16-boundary-laden 101. Although there were a couple of other batters who scored half-centuries in the same innings, it was the Bengal skipper’s knock that was the most composed and risk-free.
However, runs have been hard to come by on either side of that special knock. He has scored the same number of runs as Hooda this season. The 40-year-old stalwart would be expected to amp up his performances in the remainder of the tournament.
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3. Atharva Taide
The tale for Atharva Taide is quite the same as the two batters mentioned above. His magnificent 118 in Vidarbha’s second innings of their tournament opener against Andhra in Nagpur earned him the Player of the Match accolade.
However, the remainder of his innings have been quite underwhelming. The left-handed batter has only managed to muster 90 runs in seven innings. A lot more would have been anticipated from the up-and-coming player.
2. Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Agarwal led from the front in Karnataka’s clash against Bihar in October last year. His brisk 105 ensured his side took a vital lead against the hosts. Karnataka ended up winning that game by eight wickets.
However, the otherwise prolific run-getter in the domestic circuit has not been his usual self this season. A total of eight innings has only seen him score 223 runs. The tables seemed to have turned on Mayank, who notably was the leading run-scorer in the 2022-23 edition of the same tournament.
1. Rohit Sharma
Returning to the realm of the Ranji Trophy after a whole decade, Rohit Sharma has had a forgettable couple of innings in his comeback game against Jammu & Kashmir. Playing on one of his home grounds, he was dismissed for a cheap score in Mumbai’s first innings.
The second innings, for a brief period, seemed to be the resurgence of the Indian skipper. However, it was not to be, as he perished for a 35-ball 28. For the unversed, Rohit made himself available for the Ranji Trophy following the new directives laid down by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He has had a lean patch with the bat in international cricket as well, scoring only 619 runs in his previous 26 innings at an average of just 24.76
