Hello Yellow Army!
Round 1 of the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 is done after 4 days, and our CSK players had a bit of everything: a big six-hitting innings, good bowling spells, four wins for our players' teams, a draw, a heavy loss and one injury blow. If you missed the daily reports, here are Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Now let's put it all together.
Round 1 report card
| Player | Match | Result | How he fared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anshul Kamboj | Haryana vs Himachal Pradesh | Won by 7 wickets | 4/56 and 2/18 (6 wickets), 11 with the bat |
| Urvil Patel | Gujarat vs Odisha | Won by 10 wickets | 85 (67), 4 fours and 7 sixes |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Maharashtra vs Services | Won by 127 runs | 1/32 in 13 overs, 1 (20) and 12* |
| Kartik Sharma | Rajasthan vs Tamil Nadu | Drawn | 1 (5) and 42 |
| Ayush Mhatre | Mumbai vs Chandigarh | Won by an innings and 155 runs | 48 (82), then out with a Grade 4 hamstring tear |
| Sarfaraz Khan | Mumbai vs Chandigarh | Won by an innings and 155 runs | 1 (6), no second turn |
| Aman Hakim Khan | Puducherry vs Vidarbha | Lost by 160 runs | 0/27, 1 (7) and 4 |
Anshul Kamboj: our best performer
No doubt, Kamboj was the star for us. He took 4/32 on day 1, finished with 4/56 in 28 overs as Himachal were bowled out for 253, and then came back with a tight 2/18 in 8 overs in the second innings as they were bowled out for 119. That is 6 wickets in the match, plus 11 runs with the bat, and Haryana won by 7 wickets. He performed really well and made the most of this game, because he might not be available for the next few matches with India A duties lined up. Round 2 starts on 18 October.
Urvil Patel: the big hitter
Urvil had to wait for his turn, and when it came he made it count by playing the way he is known for. An 85 off 67 balls with 4 fours and 7 sixes, and 63 of those came before lunch. He could have gone for a ton but chose a big six and got out. A small regret, but a very good start, and and Gujarat went on to win by 10 wickets. Exactly the kind of power we want to see from him for CSK in IPL also.
Mukesh Choudhary: a team win
Mukesh finished with 1/32 in 13 overs as Services were bowled out for 227. With the bat, he made 1 off 20 in the first innings and then stayed unbeaten on 12 as Maharashtra were bowled out for 141 and set a target of 248. Maharashtra won by 127 runs. He did not bowl in the second innings, so it was a decent but not a big game for him, but a win is a win. He might also not be available for the next round because of India A duties.
Kartik Sharma: bad start, better finish
Kartik started badly with 1 off 5 on day 1. But in the second innings he came in at 31/4 and added a 50-run partnership with Mahipal Lomror, finishing day 3 on 30 not out. On the last day he added only 12 more and got out for 42, and the match ended in a draw. Not a fifty, but a good fight after a poor start.
Ayush Mhatre and Sarfaraz Khan: win overshadowed by injury
Mumbai beat Chandigarh by an innings and 155 runs, but it is the injury which took all the limelight for us. Mhatre looked good in his 48 off 82, but he has been diagnosed with a Grade 4 tear on his right hamstring. He will be out for four to six weeks and miss at least the next three games. It is a big blow for Mumbai and for CSK fans, and we will keep a close eye on his recovery. Sarfaraz had a quiet game with 1 off 6 and, as Mumbai won by an innings, did not get another turn with the bat.
Aman Hakim Khan: a tough week
Aman had the hardest time of all. He was wicketless in his 4 overs for 27 on day 1, then fell for 1 off 7 when Puducherry collapsed from 175/3 to 200/5, and added only 4 in the second innings as Puducherry lost to Vidarbha by 160 runs. He will want to better from the next matches.
Others: Shreyas Gopal and Ramakrishna Ghosh
Shreyas Gopal was left out of Karnataka's XI for the opener because of dehydration, and hopefully he is back soon. The good news is that Ramakrishna Ghosh is already practising his bowling at the MCA and should be in contention for the next round.
My take
My player of the round would be Kamboj with a ball and Urvil with a bat. But I'm worried about our star player Mhatre's hamstring, and the players who need runs and wickets in Round 2, which starts on 18 October are Aman, Sarfaraz and Mukesh. It is still early in the season, and many of these players will be on the radar for the IPL 2027 squad, so every game counts to show their form.
I will keep adding every update on the Super Kings Player Tracker. Who was your player of the round? Let me know in the comments.
Stay healthy stay yellow.