Tamil Nadu skipper and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore delivered a match-winning bowling masterclass at his home venue, dismantling Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy encounter. Bowling in Uttarakhand's second innings at the M. Chidambaram Stadium, the crafty spinner produced a sensational hat-trick by dismissing three opposing batters in three consecutive deliveries. This dominant spell spearheaded Tamil Nadu to an emphatic victory by an innings and 66 runs, sealing their first win of the ongoing season.
Three Wickets in Three Balls Shatter Uttarakhand
The turning point arrived when Sai Kishore removed Lakshya Raichandani, Saurabh Rawat, and Aditya Rawat off successive balls. This historic feat made him the tenth bowler from Tamil Nadu to record a hat-trick in first-class cricket. He dictated terms throughout the fixture, grabbing four wickets in the first innings and following it up with six scalps in the second innings to finish with a commanding 10-wicket match haul.
Attributing Bowling Breakthrough to MS Dhoni
Speaking on Tuesday, the third day of the fixture, Sai Kishore credited his milestone to the insights shared by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His formative experience of training alongside Dhoni while serving as a net bowler and reserve player for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League proved transformative. Sai Kishore highlighted that observing and listening to the former India captain brought a visible edge to his bowling craft.
I learned how to alter angles while spending time with CSK.
Reflecting on that learning curve, Sai Kishore explained that Dhoni had consistently stressed the tactical necessity of varying delivery angles. While he initially found the concept difficult to grasp, he spent subsequent years drilling the adjustments until they became second nature. Now, releasing deliveries from varied release points visibly alters how the ball behaves off the surface, deceiving batters and delivering consistent wickets.
Tamil Nadu Bowlers with First-Class Hat-Tricks
Sai Kishore enters an elite lineage of Tamil Nadu bowlers who have achieved hat-tricks at the first-class level
- G. Parthasarthi versus South India, 1936-37.
- B. Kalyanasundaram versus Bombay, 1972-73.
- S. Subramaniam versus Kerala, 1992-93.
- Raj Rajkumar versus Karnataka, 2003-04.
- M. Mohammed versus Madhya Pradesh, 2018-19.
- Gurjapneet Singh versus Nagaland, 2025-26.
- R. Sai Kishore versus Uttarakhand, 2026-27.
Match Summary and Tournament Standings
Tamil Nadu exerted control right from the opening exchanges, bundling Uttarakhand out for just 134 in their first essay. Tamil Nadu responded with a robust total of 313 runs, powered by a fine knock of 136 from number three batter Pradosh Ranjan Paul. Facing a substantial deficit, Uttarakhand collapsed to 113 all out in their second dig, handing Tamil Nadu a decisive innings-and-66-run triumph following their drawn campaign opener against Rajasthan.
