Ranji Trophy 2017-18: Shami, Wriddhiman boost for Bengal vs Delhi, Umesh in for Vidarbha against Karnataka

Gautam Gambhir skips Delhi’s practice session ahead of big semis

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Internet Desk:
The presence of Star Indian players Mohammad Shami and Wriddhiman Saha will definitely give an edge to Bengal against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy semifinals which is set to start from Sunday. Delhi will miss their skipper and star pacer Ishant Sharma who has a slight niggle but they can count on the experience of veteran Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and the fiery batting of stand in captain Rishabh Pant.

The game can be termed as the fight between most vulnerable dew ball attacks in the country and batting side which has players who can win matches single handedly on their own day.

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There will be three changes in Bengal squad. Wriddhiman Saha will play in place of Shreevats Goswami, speedstar Mohammad Shami will be in the side for Ishan Porel and star left hand batsman Sudip Chatterjee will replace Pradipta Pramanik. Legendary Indian batsman VVS Laxman today was also present in Bengal’s training session. Laxman said,” If Bengal reach the final I will definitely go to Indore.”

On being asked about the pressure of the match, Manoj Tiwary said,” We don’t talk about the semifinal in the dressing room at the moment. The semifinal game might not put the seniors in pressure but the juniors are quite new in the team and we don’t want to put any extra pressure on them.

Ishant won’t play the semifinal as he has a niggle, It will give Bengal an extra edge feels Manoj,” This might work in our favour as he is a regular member of Indian team.”

Back in 2015 Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma sledged Manoj in a game against Delhi, On being asked about it Manoj said,” Though they had sledged me but at the end of the game we got crucial three points, they might have forgot that. But We will show them what we can do in the semis.

On the other hand Delhi’s veteran opening batsman Gautam Gambhir didn’t join the team’s practice session today on the eve of the game. He will join the squad later at night. Now it will be interesting to see how he will bat for his side without any practice session.

In another semifinals Vidarbha will face Karnataka in Kolkata at the Eden Gardens which is set to start from tomorrow. The Karnataka bowlers have bowled brilliantly in the on going season as Krishnappa Gowtham has been a regular wicket taker, on the other hand Viderbha’s Akshay has taken 29 wickets till now. In this prestigious tournament both teams haven’t lost a single game in the ongoing season and surprisingly they have won 5 occasions too. Viderbha will get the service of star Indian pacer Umesh Yadav after the BCCI has given him and other Indian internationals the green signal to play the Ranji semis who are a part of the South Africa touring squad. In short, there is not much to differentiate between both sides ahead of the second semi-final clash at Eden Gardens.

Bengal’s proble First XI: Abhimanyu Easwaran,  Abhishek Raman, Sudip Chatterjee, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Anustup Majumder, Hritwick Chatterjee, B.Amit, Mohammad Shami, Ashoke Dinda.