New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir accused Baroda of ‘pitch fixing’ and tampering during the third day of their important match in the Ranji Trophy 2025 at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. The J&K cricketers protested because they felt the pitch they saw in the morning was different from the one they played on the second day match which led to a significant delay in the start of the day’s play.
The match was crucial for the playoffs in Group A and a draw would have seen visitors through to the quarterfinals while Baroda won the match to qualify. The hosts need 307 runs to win the game.
According to The Indian Express report, Baroda coach Ajay Sharma felt the colour of the surface had changed and believed that the pitch has been tampered. He brought up the issue with on-field umpires Pashchim Pathak and Ravi Teja and the match referee Arjan Kripal Singh.
After much discussion, the match began around 11 am IST, 1.5 hours after the original start time. The BCCI mentioned the official reason for the delay was ‘dampness in the pitch’. The hosts denied the allegations and cited the same reason for the alleged change in colour of the surface.
‘The allegations made by the J&K coach are baseless’: Baroda Cricket Association
The Baroda Cricket Association official denied all the allegations made by the J&K coach and said that the outfield was wet and there was moisture on the pitch and outfield. He further said that anyone who has played cricket will understand that there is moisture on the pitch in the winter and it takes time to dry.
“Sometimes matches are delayed but calling it as pitch-fixed and blaming the association for this, we will not accept these allegations. We will be approaching the BCCI for remarks made by the coach” the Indian Express reported quoted a Baroda Cricket Association official as saying.
J&K bowled out for 284 runs in the second innings. Shubham Khajuria scored 94 runs while Kanhaiya Wadhawan amassed 84 runs. Chasing the 365 runs target, Sahil Lotra removed openers, Nitin Pandya and Shivalik Sharma cheaply.
Jammu and Kashmir accused Baroda of pitch tampering during their 2025 Ranji Trophy match. The match was delayed due to alleged pitch fixing. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
