3 times injured players won hearts with their bravery in the Ranji Trophy

The Ranji Trophy has been around for a long time, and several distinguished cricketers have featured in the prestigious first-class competition.

There have been several stories of players defying the odds to make a mark in the Ranji Trophy. Virat Kohli famously battled back after his father's death to make a crucial 90 for Delhi in a 2006 match against Karnataka. Injuries have been brushed aside too, with cricketers showing immense grit and determination.

Here are three times injured players won hearts with their bravery in the Ranji Trophy.

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#3 Sanju Samson - Ranji Trophy 2018-19

In a Ranji Trophy quarter-final clash between Kerala and Gujarat back in January 2019, Sanju Samson showed immense bravery by walking out to bat with a broken finger.

After Kerala were inserted into bat, Samson, who walked in at No. 6, was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the finger by Arzan Nagwaswalla. Although his team claimed the first-innings lead, they were in a precarious position in their second innings, with nine wickets lost and a lead hovering just under the 200-run mark.

Samson came out to bat at No. 11 to give Jalaj Saxena some company but lasted just nine balls while batting with his top hand alone. He was trapped in front by Axar Patel, who picked up three wickets in the innings. Kerala won the game comfortably, bowling Gujarat out for 81 in the final essay.

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#2 Rohan Bhosale - Ranji Trophy 2014-15

In a 2014-15 Group A Ranji Trophy match between Tamil Nadu and Railways, Rohan Bhosale was struck on the head while fielding in the first innings.

Bhosale's injury seemed serious at the start, but he spent the night in the hospital and entered a stable condition. With the Railways seeking a first-innings lead, the batter came out at No. 11 and scored the runs that gave his side a few valuable points.

Speaking about the incident, Bhosale said:

“The wicket fell when I was just entering. I didn’t even wear socks. No guards. My pads were mixed up. I came directly from the hospital. The doctors initially didn’t allow me to leave. We had to convince them.”

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#1 Hanuma Vihari - Ranji Trophy 2022-23

The latest instance of a batter defying pain and injury to make a mark in the Ranji Trophy happened just this week. During Andhra's quarter-final encounter against Madhya Pradesh, Hanuma Vihari suffered a fractured arm in the first innings after being hit by Avesh Khan.

Vihari retired hurt but came out to bat (left-handed!) at the end of the innings, putting on 26 runs for the last wicket with Lalith Mohan. Andhra secured a considerable first-innings lead but collapsed to 76/9 in their second essay, forcing their captain to take guard once again.

Vihari managed 15 runs this time around, including a couple of spectacularly inventive shots. That wasn't enough, though, as Madhya Pradesh got over the line with five wickets to spare in their chase of 245.