Arjun Tendulkar, with 16 wickets in 4 Ranji Trophy games, was surprisingly dropped for the 2025 final. Fans express their outrage over the decision, calling it unjust.
New Delhi: In a surprising move, Goa dropped Arjun Tendulkar for the final match of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group, where they face Nagaland. Arjun had been impressive in the group stage, claiming 16 wickets in 4 matches. However, his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy had been less than satisfactory.
The Ranji Trophy has now been divided into two parts: the Elite and the Plate Group. Teams in the Plate Group include Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur. Goa and Nagaland made it to the final, which is being played at the Dimapur Cricket Stadium in Nagaland. In a shocking decision, Goa dropped Arjun Tendulkar for the final despite his stellar performances in the group matches.
Arjun’s Impressive Performance in Group Matches
Arjun Tendulkar made a strong impression with the ball in the Ranji Trophy Plate group matches, claiming 16 wickets in just 4 matches. His average stood at 18 and his strike rate was an impressive 36. He was among the top 10 wicket-takers in the group, with only one bowler having a better strike rate than him. His standout performance came in the final group match against Arunachal Pradesh, where he took 5 wickets for 25 runs—his best performance in first-class cricket.
Struggles in Limited-Overs Cricket
However, Arjun struggled in limited-overs cricket during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. In both tournaments, he played only 3 matches, managing to pick up 5 wickets, 3 of which came in a single game. In his career so far, Arjun has played 17 first-class matches, taking 27 wickets, 18 List A matches with 25 wickets, and 24 T20 matches with 27 wickets. He even scored a century in his debut first-class match.
16 Wickets in 4 matches, still not in Playing XI of GOA team, What may be the reason?
— Ankit Kumar (@journal_ankit) January 25, 2025
The final of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group has seen an intense contest between Goa and Nagaland. In the first innings, Goa scored 276 runs, with Jadhishan Suchit picking up 4 wickets. Nagaland responded with a solid 216-run total, aided by a captain’s knock of 86 runs from Jonathan R. The match is poised to be an exciting finish.
