Rajat Patidar records maiden double hundred for Madhya Pradesh:Sanju Samson returns to Test cricket after one year in Ranji Trophy; Rinku Singh shines for UP

The third day of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season saw several standout performances across venues, with Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar stealing the spotlight. The right-handed batter scored his first double century in first-class cricket, leading his team into a strong position against Punjab in Indore. Patidar, who made his first-class debut in 2015, reached this long-awaited milestone after a decade of consistent domestic performances. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson marked his return to red-ball cricket after nearly a year, scoring a steady half-century for Kerala against Maharashtra. Across other matches, strong batting and dominant bowling displays shaped the day’s play in different parts of the country. Patidar’s record knock puts MP ahead Playing in Indore, Rajat Patidar remained unbeaten on 205 runs off 332 balls, helping Madhya Pradesh post a commanding 519/8 in their first innings. With this, MP took a 287-run lead after bowling out Punjab for 232 earlier in the game. Patidar’s innings was filled with patience and control, marking his best-ever score in first-class cricket, surpassing his previous highest of 196 runs. Also read: ‘Silly to put Rohit-Kohli on trial in every game’: Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on two India stalwarts’ Test retirement; also shares insight on Shami’s selection Samson scores 54 on Test cricket return In Pune, Sanju Samson, who was recently left out of India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour, made a promising return to red-ball cricket. Representing Kerala against Maharashtra, Samson scored 54 runs, showing solid technique and intent. His last first-class appearance came in October 2024, making this a notable comeback for the wicketkeeper-batter. Action across other matches in the Ranji Trophy In Rajkot, Karnataka reached 89/1 in their second innings against Saurashtra, with Mayank Agarwal (31)* and Devdutt Padikkal (18)* steadying the innings. Earlier, Saurashtra had scored 376 runs in reply to Karnataka’s 372 in the first innings, keeping the match evenly balanced. In Kolkata, Uttarakhand gained a 55-run lead against Bengal, finishing the day at 165/2 in their second innings after Bengal declared at 323. At Lucknow, Rinku Singh impressed again, remaining unbeaten on 82 runs as Uttar Pradesh reached 294/6 against Andhra Pradesh, though they still trail by 176 runs. Also read: BCCI gains ₹100 crore from Asia Cup: Board expects earnings of ₹6,700 crore in 2025 One-sided wins for Bihar and Vidarbha In the Plate Group, Bihar registered a dominant win over Arunachal Pradesh by an innings and 165 runs, wrapping up the match within three days in Patna. In the Elite Group-A clash, Vidarbha crushed Nagaland by an innings and 179 runs, after dismissing them for 171 and 113 in the two innings following their own total of 463.