KL Rahul Set for Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Return With Karnataka

KL Rahul confirmed his return to domestic red-ball cricket as he made himself available for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.

Star India batter KL Rahul is set to return to domestic red-ball cricket after confirming his availability for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season. The right-handed batter will feature in Karnataka’s Group D fixture against Punjab, which begins on January 29 in Mullanpur.

According to a report by The Times of India, Rahul will miss Karnataka’s January 22 match against Madhya Pradesh in Alur but is expected to join the squad in time for the Punjab clash. His decision follows the BCCI’s recent push encouraging leading players to feature in domestic tournaments, especially those without immediate international commitments. The Punjab vs Karnataka encounter is already drawing attention, with India’s Test captain Shubman Gill also likely to turn out for Punjab in the same match.

Gill has already linked up with the Punjab squad for their January 22 game against Saurashtra in Rajkot, a fixture that will also see India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in action. Earlier, Gill chose to focus on red-ball cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup plans.

Rahul’s importance to the national side has often been highlighted by former players. “‘He is India’s Sankat Mochan’ – Irfan Pathan hails KL Rahul as crisis man after Rajkot century,” remains a reminder of Rahul’s reputation as a dependable performer in tough situations.

Punjab, meanwhile, face a challenging road ahead in the Ranji Trophy. They need to win both of their remaining group matches to stay in contention for a knockout berth. With back-to-back fixtures against strong sides like Saurashtra and Karnataka, their qualification hopes will be severely tested.

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Elsewhere, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will continue to represent Andhra in their remaining Group A matches against Vidarbha and Nagaland. Andhra are currently placed second in the group and remain strong contenders for a spot in the knockout stages. Reddy, who recently scored a half-century in the ODI series against New Zealand, is being closely monitored by the Indian team management as a potential backup for Hardik Pandya in the limited-overs setup.

In contrast, India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant is unlikely to take part in the Ranji Trophy. He was not named in Delhi’s squad for their match against Chhattisgarh and is expected to report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru as part of his ongoing recovery process.