Published: Dec 17, 2017, 08:49 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 17, 2017, 05:42 PM (IST)
Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of Ranji Trophy 2017-18. We have headed to the semi-final stage and Day One will set the tone for what is to come. Three matches and we will have a new champion. Bengal will take on Delhi at Pune, while Karnataka and Vidarbha lock horns at Kolkata.
The good news for Bengal is the happy selection dilemma they face. Sudip Chaterjee is fit and as a result double-centurion Writtick Chatterjee from the quarter-finals may have to make way for him. The big news is Ashoke Dinda will be united with Mohammed Shami. While Dinda has been the best pacer in the tournament so far, he duo had accounted for 48 of the 94 scalps in the group stages. Delhi will be without their regular skipper Ishant Sharma. Head-to-head Delhi hold the edge 5-2 from 20 games, but Bengal have the edge at the moment.
In Kolkata, Vidarbha and Karnataka will face off. The South Indian side has been the most impressive team this season. Mayank Agarwal has amassed 1,142 runs and is in no mood to stop. Vidarbha will hope Umesh Yadav turns up at the lively Eden track. The well-balanced Karnataka led by Vinay Kumar start favourites. They have beaten Vidarbha twice in 5 encounters and lost none.
