Delhi’s Ayush Doseja completes his half century during Ranji match between Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. (Express Photo | Praveen Khanna)
Delhi’s batting this season has revolved around Ayush Doseja and Sanat Sangwan, but on day three against Mumbai at the MCA BKC ground, a new hero emerged. Vaibhav Kandpal stepped up with a composed 61 off 107 balls, joining Doseja in a match-defining 106-run partnership that gave the visitors a commanding 110-run lead with one day remaining.
The 26-year-old Kandpal, with just one previous fifty this season, walked in to bat after 11 overs and began watchfully. His innings sparked to life in the 15th over when he drove Tushar Deshpande for back-to-back boundaries through the covers, holding his pose after the second. Though shorter in stature, he showed the same elegance as Sangwan through the off side, adding an on side flourish by flicking Mohit Avasthi for four.
Kandpal proved equally adept against spin. He cut Shams Mulani against the turn, swept Musheer Khan confidently, and rotated strike with sound judgment against Himanshu Singh’s off-spin. On a surface offering little assistance, Mumbai’s quicks peppered him with short balls. Kandpal responded with control, reaching fifty with a pulled four off Onkar Tarmale in the 46th over.
A Deshpande bouncer struck him on the head, forcing brief medical attention, but Kandpal carried on unfazed. At the other end, Doseja brought up their century stand with a single off Himanshu in the 49th over. Just when Kandpal seemed set to bat through the day, Himanshu found the breakthrough in the 51st over. The left-hander went for the sweep, got a top edge, and Tarmale completed a superb catch at backward square leg.
If Kandpal provided the platform, Doseja ensured Delhi maintained momentum. The left-hander, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, walked in at 100/3 and began cautiously before disrupting Mumbai’s rhythm with the reverse sweep. The stroke forced Mumbai to rethink their fields, allowing both batters to rotate strike freely.
When captain Siddhesh Lad reintroduced pace, Doseja leaned into a crisp cover drive off Deshpande in the 41st over. Two overs later came a turning point. Deshpande rushed Doseja into a mistimed pull, but spilled a tough return catch with the batsman on 36. Doseja capitalised immediately, whipping the next loose delivery through midwicket and reaching his half-century in style with consecutive boundaries off Tarmale.
Earlier, Divij Mehra’s 5/64 in 31 overs helped dismiss Mumbai for 317, giving the hosts a 96-run first-innings lead that Delhi have now erased and extended.
Brief Scores: Delhi 221 & 206/4 (Doseja 62*, Kandpal 61) lead Mumbai 317 (Lad 103; Mehra 5/64) by 110 runs.
On Day one of the Mumbai-Delhi Ranji Trophy fixture, three players – Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan and Himanshu Singh – were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from the dust coming in from an adjacent high-rise construction site. On day three, tarpaulin covers were installed to contain the dust and reduce the impact on play.
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