Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Andhra faces Madhya Pradesh in quarterfinals, eyes redemption for final season’s loss

Ricky Bhui had a chat along with his teammates, shortly after the fixtures for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals have been introduced. With his staff squaring off in opposition to Madhya Pradesh, it was essential for the Andhra captain to encourage the gamers.

After all, when the 2 groups met in a quarterfinal conflict on the Holkar Stadium final 12 months, Madhya Pradesh had the final giggle. Hence, this time round, Bhui suggested his staff to ‘overcome the mental barrier and not think about what happened earlier’.

It will probably be over to the Andhra gamers to comply with the skipper’s recommendation when the motion begins on Friday.

It has been fairly an unimaginable season for the staff, with captain Bhui main from the entrance, amassing 861 runs at a median of 86.1. Despite being in a tricky group, Andhra managed to qualify for the knockouts, using on Bhui’s heroics and a few important knocks by the seasoned Hanuma Vihari, who amassed 453 runs.

In its final league recreation in opposition to Kerala, Andhra misplaced debutant opener Revanth Reddy early earlier than Maheep Kumar and Ashwin Hebbar stepped in. On what seems to be a quite flat floor, it will likely be a possibility for Andhra’s top-order to make it depend.

READ | Vihari on return to Indian staff: If I win Ranji Trophy with Andhra and rating sufficient runs, alternatives will come

However, it gained’t be a simple job. Madhya Pradesh, the champion of the 2021-22 season, enjoys the house benefit. All eyes will probably be on Venkatesh Iyer, who bolstered the middle-order and scored 510 runs within the group stage.

It may also be essential for the house staff to get off to an excellent begin, with openers Yash Dubey and Himanshu Mantri making vital contributions.

On the bowling entrance, left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya has been only for MP, claiming 34 wickets, and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how he handles the stress of the knockouts. With the seasoned pacers Avesh Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya in its ranks, Madhya Pradesh is definitely a pressure to reckon with.