Patna: Punjab triumphed over Bihar by an innings and 67 runs in their Ranji Trophy match at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, on Friday. Bihar’s batting failed to impress, managing 135 runs in the first innings and collapsing to just 98 runs in their second innings. Punjab, in contrast, posted a commanding total of 300 in their first innings.
The match, part of the Group C phase, marked Bihar’s fourth defeat out of five games this season, including three innings losses. One match, against Bengal, was abandoned, leaving Bihar with just one point. The second phase of the Ranji Trophy will commence on 23 January. Bihar is scheduled to face Uttar Pradesh at home and Kerala away, concluding their season on 30 January.
Punjab resumed the third day at 262/8 and added 38 more runs, finishing their innings at 300 in 84.1 overs. Key contributions came from Jaskaranveer Singh Paul (65), Saleel Arora (64), Savveer Singh (47), Pukhraj Mannan (33), and Gurnoor Singh (34). Bihar’s bowlers showed some resistance, with Sakib Hussain taking 4/114 and captain Veer Pratap Singh and Himanshu Singh each claiming two wickets.
In Bihar’s second innings, only three batsmen—Bipin Saurabh (33), Piyush Kumar Singh (24), and Sakib Hussain (16)—reached double figures. The team was bundled out for 98 in just 28.4 overs.
Punjab’s bowlers shone, with Gurnur Brar bagging a stellar 5/14, Baltej Singh taking 4/44, and Sukhdeep Bajwa picking up 1/36.
This heavy defeat highlights Bihar’s struggles in the tournament, as they prepare to regroup for the second phase.
