Mumbai were steady at 113 for two at one stage but Rekhade, playing only his second First-Class match, ripped open the Ranji champions' batting line-up, first with an innocuous delivery which claimed the prized scalp of Ajinkya Rahane in the 41st over.
The India A squad is set to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match red-ball series, offering a crucial platform for emerging cricketers like Aquib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Sai Sudharsan, and Devdutt Padikkal to impress selectors and stake their claim for a spot in the senior national team. Dhruv Jurel will captain the side.
Mumbai will now need to beat Meghalaya by a big margin and hope for favourable results in other matches to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Gujarat captain Chintan Gaja and spinner Vishal Jayswal shared seven wickets between them to bowl out Himachal Pradesh for 215 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy match.
The BCCI on Monday invited bids for the title sponsorship rights for its domestic and international home events, with the current agreement with IDFC FIRST Bank nearing the end of its tenure.
Cheteshwar Pujara continued his good form in Ranji Trophy as he slammed his second successive century as Saurashtra dominated their Elite Group A match against Manipur.
Rookie pacer Ashok Sharma credits the mentorship of Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra, along with advice from Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj, for his evolution as a bowler and his selection for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Indian all-rounder Mahipal Lomror has signed with Surrey for the remainder of the County Championship season. He becomes the second player from Rajasthan to join the English side this season, filling a gap left by injuries and international call-ups.
It is expected that Hardik will return to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League, where he is set to make his maiden appearance as a full-time captain with the CVC-owned Ahmedabad franchise.
An IPL contract might be on top of cricketers' bucket list, but Mumbai's teenaged Ranji Trophy hero Musheer Khan is happy that he went unsold during last year's player auction because it gives him some more time to "understand" the T20 format.
Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja advised debutant Saransh Jain to treat his maiden Test match as another First-Class game, urging him to enjoy the moment without pressure. Saransh, the 320th player to represent India in Tests, expressed his happiness at receiving his cap from an all-rounder like Jadeja and dedicated his cricketing journey to his father.
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina believes Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi should have been selected for the Test match against Afghanistan, highlighting his significant contribution to their Ranji Trophy victory.
Tanush Kotian's five-wicket haul helped Mumbai bounce back as the visitors bowled out Baroda for 185 in their second innings.
MP was a good team but it was Pandit, who brought about changes that were required to transform it into a champion team
Vidarbha took command of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Madhya Pradesh with the key wicket of Yash Dubey (94) late on Day 4.
Saurashtra's big hopes rests on how veteran Cheteshwar Pujara bats on the last two days.
Another interesting group will be Elite group A that has Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Services and Assam.
Interestingly, eager to play under domestic coach Chandrakant Pandit to revive his international career, Vihari was mulling a move to Madhya Pradesh before the start of the season.
The path found by champions like GR Viswanath, Syed Kirmani, Brijesh Patel, EAS Prasanna and BS Chandrasekhar has only broadened over the years through which several ace cricketers walked through.
The opening round of Ranji Trophy matches will begin from February 17 following a five-day quarantine and the squad size, including support staff, has been capped at 30.
'We are not the best side in domestic cricket, we are not the best side in terms of skill sets or in terms of match-winners, but I think we are the best when it comes to being a unit, when it comes to playing like a family.'
The format has been tweaked and there will be eight groups of four teams each with the plate group comprising six teams.
Karn Sharma announced his retirement from competitive cricket at 38, ending a nearly two-decade career highlighted by India appearances, 591 wickets and four IPL titles.
Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi Dar, whose non-selection in the Indian Test squad caused controversy, has been summoned to bowl in the nets ahead of the Test against Afghanistan, along with six others.
Mumbai's slender first-innings lead against Baroda propelled them into the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy.
Jaydev Unadkat claimed a match haul of nine wickets, including 6/85 in the second innings, as Saurashtra thrashed Bengal by nine wickets in the Ranji Trophy final.
A resilient Kerala sealed their maiden Ranji Trophy final by taking a dramatic two-run first-innings lead over Gujarat, 68 years after making their debut.
Sanju Samson, a key player in India's T20 World Cup triumph, recounts how his early cricket aspirations in Delhi were nearly thwarted by the Delhi & District Cricket Association. His father's decisive move to shift the family to Kerala proved to be a life-changing moment, enabling Samson to pursue his dream and eventually achieve national recognition.
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.
A round up of the second day's play of the Ranji Trophy Super League matches on Tuesday.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed confidence in his team's readiness for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15. Gambhir also welcomed new squad members Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi, emphasising the team's preparation for their first ICC World Test Championship assignment since a previous home defeat.
'Working (hard) every day is important, because then I'll become consistent. When I was dropped from playing XI in IPL, every day I was working with Zubin sir (Zubin Bharucha, director of cricket at RR) and training really well with support staff like Raj Muni and Yogesh. Zubin sir was keeping me motivated all the time.'
Mumbai will play Tamil Nadu at home while Vidarbha will host Madhya Pradesh in Nagpur in the Ranji Trophy semifinals, starting from Saturday.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday.
India wicketkeeper-batter Kona Srikar Bharat has announced his retirement from international cricket after playing seven Tests for the country. The 32-year-old debuted in 2023 and played his last Test a year later, scoring 221 runs. He also holds the record for the first triple century by a wicketkeeper-batter in Ranji Trophy.
Delhi's Ayush Doseja aims to follow the discipline and fitness regime of India superstar Virat Kohli as the 23-year-old finished the group stage of the Ranji Trophy with the highest individual run tally.
The BCCI wants feedback on the tournament's new format.
Former Karnataka pacer S L Akshay died in Bengaluru on Sunday due to heart attack.
Pacer Ashok Sharma will make his debut against Zimbabwe in the T20I series opener in Harare on Thursday.
