Ranji Trophy 2024: Ishant Sharma to play Delhi's clash against Baroda

Veteran India cricketer Ishant Sharma is set to feature in Delhi’s upcoming clash against Baroda in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. With an eye on making his return to the Indian team, Ishant is focusing on red-ball cricket and played for Delhi against Puducherry. However, he couldn’t make the most of the opportunity as the visitors won by nine wickets.

After a break of almost a month, the 35-year-old is set to make his return and is likely to replace Prince Yadav in the playing XI. He will be alongside Navdeep Saini and Himanshu Chauhan to form the pace unit. Meanwhile, Ishant’s return will be a massive boost to Delhi, who are going through a rough patch as they are currently placed seventh on the Elite Group D points table.

However, their recent win over Uttarakhand should give them some confidence ahead of taking on the league leaders. Newly-appointed skipper Himmat Singh played a memorable 194-run knock in the last match, while Yash Dhull and Lakshay Thareja contributed their bit in the first and second innings respectively. The bowlers - Saini, Hrithik Shokeen and Himanshu Chauhan were impressive, which is another plus point for the team.

The cold and damp weather in Delhi is expected to favour the pacers and Ishant’s experience will come in handy as he is well-accustomed to playing in such conditions. With the time running out, the pacer would be desperate to prove his worth and get back to the national team, which is already filled with quality pacers. 

The toss, meanwhile, was delayed due to bad light. If there’s no sunlight but there is moisture underneath the surface, the pacers are likely to enjoy bowling. However, it depends on when and if the game starts. There is also a possibility of rain on Day 3 of the match.