Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Jadeja Falters Again as Punjab Restricts Saurashtra to 151

Ravindra Jadeja’s struggles with form continue to raise eyebrows, with the all-rounder failing to make an impact for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26. After a year of quiet performances for India in ODIs—both with the bat and ball—Jadeja’s domestic comeback hopes took a hit on Thursday.

Jadeja Scores Just 7 Runs

In the first day of Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab in Rajkot, the home team elected to bat first. The opening pair of Harvik Desai and Chirag Jani were dismissed cheaply for a combined 34 runs. When the score reached 41 for 3, Jadeja walked in with expectations of stabilizing the innings.

However, he could not deliver. After hitting a single boundary, he was caught by Harpreet Barar off Jas Inder’s bowling, scoring just 7 runs off 6 balls. Meanwhile, Jai Gohil anchored the innings and was unbeaten on 73 as Saurashtra lost 6 wickets for 151 runs by the end of Day 1.

Jadeja’s Ongoing Struggles

Jadeja has been out of form across formats. Having retired from T20 internationals, he has struggled in ODIs over the last two years, managing just 106 runs and 12 wickets in 10 matches in 2025. While he has shown occasional success in Test cricket, that form has not translated into domestic long-format games. His poor performance against Punjab underscores his current slump.

Shubman Gill Leads Punjab

India’s captain Shubman Gill, who has been out of form since the England tour last year, is also using domestic cricket to regain rhythm. Gill, playing for Punjab in this Ranji Trophy match, has been given the captaincy for the game to gain leadership experience and work on his technical issues. He had recently played under Prabhsimran Singh’s captaincy in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.

The match continues to highlight the challenges faced by India’s senior players as they seek form and consistency both internationally and domestically.