Welcome to Sportstar‘s live coverage of the first day of the first round of the 2021-22 season of the Ranji Trophy.

UPDATES

Bengal v Baroda | Baroda is three wickets down. Here’s Y. B. Sarangi, our correspondent, reporting from Bhubaneswar: After opting to field, Bengal seamers utilised the morning conditions well and created some opportunities. J. K. Singh was dropped on zero at third slip off Mukesh in the third over. Captain Kedar Devdhar played some handsome strokes, scoring 31 off 41 balls studded with four fours. He was caught off Akash Deep in the first slip off a no ball on 27. Akash Deep used the variable bounce and seam movement well. Ishan Porel provided breakthroughs in the 15th over. Devdhar was surprised by the bounce and edged one to gully. P. A. Kumar was adjudged lbw in the same over. Ishan struck again in his next over by having Shivalik Sharma caught behind.Baroda 51/3 (17.2)

Kerala v Meghalaya | Sreesanth is playing for Kerala. It’s his first first-class game since 2013. Here’s P. K. Ajith Kumar, from Rajkot: Good morning from a cool, pleasant, quiet Rajkot. Kerala won the toss and chose to bowl against Meghalaya on a green-top. Former India Test star S. Sreesanth is one of the four seamers Kerala has included in the eleven. Basil Thampi, Manu Krishnan and a 17-year-old debutant Edhen Apple Tom complete the quartet. Sreesanth looked good with the new ball. He has moved the ball and belied his age (39). Manu provided the breakthrough, cleaning up Wallam Kynshi. Meghalaya 35 for one in 11 overs.

Gujarat v MP | First wicket for Gujarat. Left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla extracts a drive from Rameez Khan, who edges to gully. Rameez departs for 20. MP 37/1 in 10 overs.

Bengal v Baroda | Two wickets in three deliveries for Ishan Porel. Kedar Devdhar was dismissed for 31, and then P. A. Kumar was trapped lbw. Baroda 41/2 in the 15th over.

Karnataka v Railways | A quiet but solid start for Karnataka, in Chennai. Mayank Agarwal, the opener, has hit some beautiful cover drives, informs Dipak Ragav, our correspondent, who is at the Guru Nanak College stadium.

Mumbai v Saurashtra | Early setback for Mumbai. Prithvi Shaw, the captain, departs for 1. He is dismissed by Jaydev Unadkat. Sachin Yadav and Aakarshit Gomel are at the crease. 7/1.

Saurashtra team warming up before the match, at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. – AYAN ACHARYA

Gujarat v MP | First boundary of the day for MP. Rohera plays a soft drive through mid-off to collect four runs off Roosh. The delivery wasn’t overpitched, but Rohera went through with his stroke anyway. 17/0.

TN v Delhi | Delhi has already lost a couple of wickets, in the first hour of the day’s play. Runs have come thick and fast as well. Yash Dhull is off to a rapid start – he’s already scored 40 runs off 33 deliveries. He’s putting on a good partnership with Nitish Rana, who came in to bat in the fourth over, with Delhi two down for 7. Score: 57/2 in nine overs.

Gujarat v Madhya Pradesh | A quiet first over from left-arm seamer Roosh Kalaria. Gujarat has chosen to bowl first. Madhya Pradesh is, of course, without Naman Ojha, who retired from all formats of cricket last year. Ajay Rohera is the wicketkeeper, he’s opened the batting alongside Rameez Khan.

The picturesque Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, before the start of the first day’s play. – AYAN ACHARYA

Mumbai v Saurashtra | Mumbai wins the toss and chooses to bat, in Ahmedabad. It’s a mouth-watering clash, with Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara playing. A reminder: Saurashtra is the defending champion, having won the 2019-20 title.

Tamil Nadu v Delhi | TN has chosen to bowl, in Guwahati. U-19 star Yash Dhull makes his first-class debut.

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The marquee event of the domestic season is back.

The Ranji Trophy is all set to commence after a gap of nearly two years. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it couldn’t be held in 2020-21, but it’s finally here, ending an interminable wait for specialists in red-ball cricket to showcase their prowess and earn their livelihood.

All 38 teams will be in action, including defending champion Saurashtra, which squares off against Mumbai in Ahmedabad. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, the India stalwarts, will likely be playing.

In another heavyweight clash, Tamil Nadu, the Vijay Hazare Trophy runner-up, will play Delhi in Guwahati. Read the preview here.

There may be star attraction, too, in Rajkot. The 39-year-old Sreesanth is part of the 20-member Kerala squad, but it remains to be seen whether he gets a call-up in the final XI which plays Meghalaya.