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KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal endure horrible starts in Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opener

The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season kicked off with a rocky start for two of India’s top Test openers. KL Rahul managed just four runs off 11 balls for Karnataka against Andhra in Mulapadu, while Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck in 13 balls for Mumbai against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium.

Both players, returning to first-class cricket after the BCCI mandated Test regulars participate in the opening round, struggled against early breakthroughs from opposition bowlers. Rahul fell to KV Sasikanth after a single boundary, leaving Karnataka at 9/3 within four overs, while Jaiswal edged a wide delivery to second slip, ending his brief innings without scoring.

Their early exits denied them the chance to stabilize their teams in the first innings, though they will aim to recover in the second digs of their respective matches. Meanwhile, other early action saw Delhi reach 38/2 against Bengal, Madhya Pradesh lose their first wicket to Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand open strongly with 22/0 against Kerala.

Punjab’s Umesh Yadav claimed his first wicket of the tournament, while Assam were reduced to 0/2 in their opening overs.

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