Sports · Cricket · 1 hr ago
Umesh Yadav takes five wickets in first Ranji match for Punjab
Umesh Yadav took five wickets for Punjab against Assam in a Ranji Trophy match in New Chandigarh.
He finished with figures of 5 for 70 after bowling 24 overs across two days.
Punjab had signed the 38-year-old as a guest player for the 2026-27 season after he left Vidarbha, the team he had represented for much of his domestic career.
It was his first Ranji Trophy appearance since December 2024 and his return to first-class cricket after nearly two years.
Yadav has not played for India since June 2023, and his career was interrupted by an Achilles tendon injury that required surgery and rehabilitation.
His spell helped Punjab bowl Assam out for 373, although Assam’s captain Danish Das and Sibsankar Roy both scored centuries.
The performance gives Punjab an early sign of what the experienced fast bowler may offer in the season ahead.
Umesh Yadav took 5 wickets for 70 runs in his first Ranji Trophy match for Punjab.
His spell helped Punjab bowl Assam out for 373 in the teams’ 2026-27 season opener.
Yadav bowled 24 overs across two days and claimed his 16th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
He returned to first-class cricket after a gap of nearly two years, having moved from Vidarbha to Punjab.
Punjab began their reply with 108 runs without losing a wicket, according to Wisden.
- Who
- Umesh Yadav, playing for Punjab against Assam.
- What
- Yadav took 5 wickets for 70 runs in his first Ranji Trophy match for Punjab.
- When
- The match took place in October 2026; he took two wickets on Sunday and three on Monday.
- Where
- PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh; Wisden describes the fixture as being at Mullanpur.
- Why
- Yadav joined Punjab as a guest player for the 2026-27 season, seeking a fresh opportunity in red-ball cricket.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Yadav took two wickets, dismissing Rishav Das and Rajveer Singh.
Yadav took three more wickets as Punjab bowled Assam out for 373.
- Bowling figures
- 5 for 70 in 24 overs
- Opponent
- Assam
- Venue
- PCA International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
- Season
- Ranji Trophy 2026-27
- First-class milestone
- 16th five-wicket haul
Sources
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