Kushagra's 234 Guides Jharkhand to Dominance vs Baroda

Kumar Kushagra's commanding double century propelled Jharkhand to a dominant position against Baroda on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in Vadodara on Sunday, as the 2025-26 season's fourth round unfolded with several teams asserting early control.

The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who resumed on 133 not out, reached 234 off 367 balls, featuring 23 boundaries and four sixes, before falling to spinner Bhargav Bhatt. His innings anchored Jharkhand's total of 506 all out in 140 overs, built on a platform of 327 for five at stumps on day one. Kushagra shared a crucial 118-run seventh-wicket stand with allrounder Sahil Raj, who scored 39. Earlier contributions came from Robin Minz with 79 and Virat Singh with 46. Baroda's bowlers, led by Mahesh Pithiya's three for 56, toiled but could not stem the flow.

In response, Jharkhand's pacers struck swiftly. Sahil Raj claimed two early wickets, including Jyotsnil Singh for a golden duck and Sukrit Pandey for six, leaving Baroda at 35 for three. Opener Shivalik Sharma added 23 before departing. Shashwat Rawat (20 not out) and Vishnu Solanki (28 not out) steadied the innings, but Baroda closed at 78 for three in 31...