Ranji Trophy 2026‑27: S.V. Rahul’s debut century fuels Andhra’s comeback against Karnataka

It was a crisp autumn afternoon at the ACA International Stadium in Mulapadu when Andhra’s youngster S.V. Rahul walked out to the middle – a debut in first‑class cricket, no less. The air buzzed with a mix of nerves and excitement, the kind you feel when a fresh face gets a chance to write his name in the record books.

Rahul, a left‑hander who grew up idolising the likes of Yuvraj Singh, got off to a steady start. He wasn’t flashy at first, just a calm toe‑the‑line approach, letting the ball come to him. By the time he reached his half‑century, he’d done it in 102 balls, a neat boundary over long‑off punctuating his 50.

Beside him, wicket‑keeper‑batter Revanth Reddy, barely 22 and with only five first‑class games under his belt, was in full‑tilt mode. He raced to 97 in just 59 deliveries, his strokes a mix of sheer aggression and confidence – a slap of a four to mid‑wicket, a crisp drive that sent the ball racing to the fence.

The two young guns stitched together a partnership that felt like a little marathon: 202 runs for the sixth wicket, spanning almost two full sessions. Andhra’s total crept to 331 for six, the scoreboard flashing 108* for Rahul and 97 for Reddy. Rahul’s century came after a graceful drive past Ritesh Bhatkal, followed by a simple single that nudged him past the three‑figure mark.

Karnataka, on the other side of the crease, was wobbling. At 116 for five, they’d already lost Shaik Rasheed for a tidy 54. Their attack, featuring three debutants and two bowlers with a combined 13 caps, looked a little raw. The spinners – Shikhar Shetty, Madhav Bajaj and Ritesh Bhatkal – were all over the place with length, and the fact that just seven of the 90 overs bowled were maidens told the story.

There were moments of drama too. K.L. Rahul, fielding at slip, dropped a catching chance off Ritesh when the ball ticked past his fingertips – a lapse that let the partnership flourish a little longer. Later, Revanth’s 97 was cut short when he was caught behind by the same K.L. Rahul, a tidy dismissal that still left him with a career‑best first‑class score (his previous high was a modest 22).

When the day’s play wrapped, Andhra held a 57‑run lead, 331/6 to Karnataka’s 116/5. The momentum was clearly with the visitors, thanks in large part to Rahul’s maiden century and Reddy’s near‑hundred. The hosts will have to regroup, tighten up their lengths, and perhaps give a senior bowler a longer spell if they hope to claw back.

For Andhra, the performance was a refreshing reminder of the talent bubbling up through their ranks. For the rest of the tournament, it’s a signal that fresh faces can step up and turn the tide – a story that fans love and analysts will be talking about for weeks to come.