Kerala eyes good start against a strong Jharkhand side

The Keenan Stadium is named after John Keenan, an American. He was a much-loved general manager who played a key role in the growth of Tata Steel.

A cricket ground honouring an American isn’t usual. But, that isn’t the only claim to fame for this ground.

It was here that Viv Richards smashed a 99-ball 149 in an ODI for the West Indies against India in 1983, which was basically a revenge tour for Clive Lloyd’s men for their World Cup loss to Kapil Dev’s Devils.

Sourav Ganguly scored a hundred in an Indian victory in 2000 against South Africa, while M.S. Dhoni fell four runs short of one against England six years later.

Those glory days are behind this ground.

But it remains a prominent venue for Ranji Trophy. And Kerala begins its campaign in the new season, with a match against Jharkhand, here on Sunday.

Vishnu Vinod’s men should be looking for a fine start, especially after the disappointment of the last season.

For a team that created history in 2024-25, by reaching the final, the last edition of India’s premier domestic tourney didn’t go well at all. Kerala finished fifth in a group of eight.

This time around, Kerala is grouped with the likes of Delhi, Bengal, Maharashtra and Gujarat. And Jharkhand had played the quarterfinals last season, after topping its pool.

The return of Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate has sharpened the attack. When it comes to batting, Sachin Baby’s experience and calmness continues to be reassuring, but the likes of Rohan Kunnummal, Vishnu, Salman Nizar and Mohammed Azharuddeen have to be more consistent.

The host’s batting boasts players like Shikhar Mohan, Sharandeep Singh and captain Virat Singh, but it will miss the services of Kumar Kushagra, who is playing for India-A against Australia-A.