By Admin 
Tamil Nadu began its 2025-26 campaign on an inauspicious note, slumping to an innings-and-114-run defeat to Jharkhand in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy at home recently. The result posed tough questions about the team’s consistency, focus, and temperament.
How the side let the game in Coimbatore slip through its fingers when it had Jharkhand on the mat at 157 for six remains baffling. A lack of sustained intensity gave the visitors a lifeline, and Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan seized it with a magnificent 173.
Kishan was ably supported by all-rounder Sahil Raj, whose composed 77 resulted in a vital 214-run stand for the seventh wicket — a partnership that completely turned the contest on its head. The all-rounder then shone with the ball, picking up four wickets, while medium-pacer Jatin Pandey and debutant Rishav Raj chipped in with a five-for and four-for respectively to complete Jharkhand’s stunning victory.
Now, coming off a short festival break, Tamil Nadu must regroup quickly as it prepares to face Nagaland in the second-round clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Grounds here from Saturday.
With M. Senthilnathan taking over as the team’s third head coach in as many years and N. Jagadeesan leading the side for the first time, the call for greater responsibility and discipline is louder than ever. “We got out playing loose shots,” admitted Jagadeesan after the defeat.
Only Andre Siddarth and Gurjapneet Singh were the shining lights in an otherwise abysmal show, offering brief glimpses of hope amid a disappointing team performance.
For Tamil Nadu, the upcoming encounter against Nagaland provides an opportunity to prove that the poor start was an aberration, and not a sign of deeper trouble.
Nagaland, on the other hand, earned promotion after reaching last season’s Plate Group final against Goa. It will look to punch above its weight, despite a heavy innings-and-179-run defeat to Vidarbha in its opening fixture.