Published on Oct 25
GUWAHATI: Assam will face a formidable challenge when they take on Saurashtra in their third match of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B season. It will be Assam’s second away match and will start at Rajkot on Monday.
Assam, at present, have accumulated seven points to occupy the third spot in the group standings. They opened their campaign with a draw against Punjab before bouncing back in style with a nine-wicket victory over Tripura in Guwahati recently. Saurashtra, who are just behind Assam in fourth place with six points, will enjoy home advantage and the services of several experienced international cricketers. The presence of Ravindra Jadeja and skipper Jaydev Unadkat is expected to strengthen the hosts as they prepare for the contest.
The recent record between the two teams also gives Saurashtra an edge. Of their last five meetings, Saurashtra have emerged victorious on three occasions, while Assam have won once, with the other match ending in a draw.
For Assam, the match could also provide an opportunity for individual milestones. All-rounder Swarupam Purkayastha is just one wicket away from completing 100 wickets in first-class cricket. Meanwhile Assam have made a change to their squad, bringing in opener Pradyun Saikia in place of experienced batter Rishav Das for the Rajkot encounter.
Assam squad: Denish Das (captain), Sibsankar Roy, Rajveer Singh, Nibir Deka, Pradyun Saikia, Swarupam Purkayastha, Sumit Ghadigaonkar (wicketkeeper), Anurag Talukdar (wicketkeeper), Mohit Thakur, Amlanjyoti Das, Mukhtar Hussain, Sunil Lachit, Hridip Deka, Roshan Alam and Bishal Newar.