Ranji Trophy: Siddharth Desai registers best figures for Gujarat in history

History was scripted at the Gujarat College Cricket Ground in Ahmedabad on January 23 (Thursday) after left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai registered the best bowling figures in first-class cricket for Gujarat in the state’s history, finishing with 9/36 against Uttarakhand in a Ranji Trophy match.

Taking the new ball, Desai remarkably picked each of the first nine wickets to fall in Uttarakhand’s innings. But when he was on the verge of history, a wicket away from becoming the fourth bowler in the competition’s history to take 10 in an innings, left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal took the final wicket to ensure Desai was stuck on 9 wickets.

Had he got 10, the 24-year-old would have become the second bowler this Ranji season to take all 10 wickets in an innings. Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj had earlier taken 10/49 against Kerala at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Lahli.

Regardless, Desai has gone into Gujarat’s history books. He is the first Gujarat bowler ever to take 9 wickets in an innings in the Ranji Trophy. 

The previous record belonged to off-spinner Jasubhai Patel, who in the 1960/61 season took 8/21 against Saurashtra. 

Best figures for Gujarat in Ranji Trophy history

Siddharth Desai 9/36 vs Uttarakhand in 2024/25

Jasubhai Patel 8/21 vs Saurashtra in 1960/61

Rakesh Dhruve 8/31 vs Rajasthan in 2012/13