Maharashtra kicked off their 2025/26 Ranji Trophy season with an absolute nightmare against Kerala at the Green Field Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Their innings started catastrophically, plummeting to just 5 runs for 4 wickets in the fourth over. Adding to their woes, debutant Prithvi Shaw was dismissed for a duck.
Kerala’s pace attack wasted no time asserting dominance. Seamer MD Nidheesh drew first blood, trapping Shaw leg-before-wicket in the very first over. He followed up by dispatching Siddhesh Veer with his next delivery. Not to be outdone, Basil NP joined the wicket-taking spree, removing Arshin Kulkarni with his opening ball and later dismissing captain Ankeet Bawana with a sharp, bouncing delivery that found the stumps.
Despite the early collapse, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jalaj Saxena showed resilience, initiating a crucial recovery. They managed to score 35 and 29 runs respectively, helping Maharashtra crawl to 81 for 5 by lunch.
Shaw’s four-ball duck was particularly disheartening, especially considering he had just struck a century against Mumbai in a recent warm-up game. This season marked his move from Mumbai to Maharashtra, a transfer he hoped would provide a much-needed fresh start after falling out of favor in the red-ball format.
His decision to join Maharashtra was a significant one, coming after a difficult phase in his career. This included going unsold at the IPL 2025 auction and enduring considerable scrutiny regarding his performance and physical condition.
Earlier, Shaw had indeed showcased his potential for his new team by smashing a century against Chhattisgarh during the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in August.
In their previous Ranji Trophy season, Maharashtra concluded their campaign in fifth place in Elite Group A, with a record of two wins, two draws, and three losses across seven matches.
Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season, Maharashtra finds itself in a challenging Group B, competing against formidable teams such as last season’s runners-up Kerala, along with Saurashtra, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Goa.