2016-17 Ranji Trophy: 5 Best Performers from the quarterfinal stage

The quarter-final stage of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season threw up some fine performances from almost every team. The exploits were well spread out with both bat and ball and played a key role in their respective team’s progression into the final four stage of the competition.

Here are the best performers from the quarterfinals:

5.Mohammed Siraj

Hyderabad may have lost their quarterfinal against Mumbai, but Mohammed Siraj proved to be one of the stars for them in the game.The right-arm pacer picked up figures of 4 for 64 in the first innings and then in the second innings took figures of 5 for 52 to help dismiss Mumbai for low totals in both their essays.

It is a pity that Sira’s efforts went in vain as the batsman could not raise their game in the second innings in their pursuit of 232 runs, falling short by 31 runs.

4.Abhishek Nayar

In the absence of international stars like Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, it was Abhishek Nayar who stepped up to the plate and performed for Mumbai, picking up match figures of 9 for 100 with the ball and making 63 runs, including a half-century, with the bat in hand.

Despite having someone like a Shardul Thakur, who made his way into the Indian team after picking up wickets in heaps last season, it was Nayar, who raised his game in the crunch game and ensured his side progressed through to the semi-final stage of the competition.

3.Shahbaz Nadeem

The left-arm spinner, who gave a glimpse of his potential to the world in the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League, had a field outing against Haryana in the final eight stage of the competition.

In the first innings, Nadeem took figures of 7 for 79 to help dismiss Haryana for 258 and then when the batsmen had done their job to give their side a lead of 93 runs, returned to claim 4 scalps in the second innings to dismiss the opposition for 262.

Jharkhand went on to win the game by five wickets and it was largely because of Nadeem's contribution.

2.Aswin Crist

Heading into the contest as the underdogs, Tamil Nadu knew they had an uphill task ahead of them against a full-strength Karnataka unit. However, Aswin Crist has other ideas in his mind and in an incisive burst of medium pace bowling, picked up 6 wickets in the first innings to dismiss Karnataka for 88.

Although he could pick up just the solitary wicket in the second outing, his performances in the first innings had already the foundations for what prove to be a facile Tamil Nadu win in the game.

1.Samit Gohel

Gujarat opener Samit Gohel wrote his name into the history books on Tuesday afternoon, when he made the highest individual score for a batsman who carried the bat in the history of first-class cricket.

Gohel compiled an unbeaten 359 in a team score of 641 and pounded the Odisha attack to all corners of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur.

When Number 10 Hardik Patel(He had returned to bat after being injured earlier), was dismissed for 13, Gohel had broken the World Record for the highest score made while carrying the bat, going past Bobby Abel's score of 357 for Surrey that he made in 1899.