Sudip Kumar Gharami scores 299 for Bengal in Ranji

Sudip Kumar Gharami scored a marathon 299 runs for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 quarter-final against Andhra, missing a triple century by a single run. The innings boosted his overall numbers and put the soft-spoken batter in the spotlight, six years after his debut for the senior Bengal team in March 2020 just days before turning 21.

From a Mud House in Naihati to Cricket Field Success

The journey began with Susanta Gharami, a mason by profession who wanted to play cricket himself but lacked the funds. When his son showed the same interest, Susanta borrowed money to buy an English willow bat and stood by him through daily practice and long commutes. Sudip remembered those early struggles, noting, I often overheard Baba telling Ma how people discouraged him when it came to me playing cricket. But he never lost his determination, as Cricinfo reported. The daily routine included catching a local train from Naihati to Kolkata, with his mother cooking meals at 4 AM to support the grueling travel schedule.

Those early sacrifices shaped a humble start. Using money earned while still a teenager from playing club cricket in the second division of the Cricket Association of Bengal and the Under-23 side, Sudip converted his family’s kutcha house in Naihati into a brick-and-mortar structure. He now rents a flat in Kolkata where he lives with his mother and younger brother, while Susanta continues to live in Naihati and attends matches when his son plays locally.

Establishing Himself in Bengal’s First-Class Lineup

After a lost season due to Covid-19, Sudip cemented his place in the squad by scoring 803 runs in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy as Bengal reached the final. When veteran Manoj Tiwary retired, Sudip stepped into the middle order and finished as Bengal's top-scorer in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy with 797 runs, including three centuries. Aside from his 299 against Andhra, he struck 146 against eventual champions Jammu & Kashmir in the semi-final.

His scoring relies on precise timing and placement, complemented by a powerful pull shot against quick bowlers and a penchant for lofting spinners. Before his 299-run knock, his first-class average sat at 36.24. It has since climbed to 41.70, backed by 937 runs across 16 first-class innings where he converted every single one of his four half-centuries into hundreds.

Advice from Sarfaraz Khan and Lessons at the Centre of Excellence

Moving into the 2026-27 domestic season, Sudip experienced mixed results after opening with 146 against North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy and later featuring for Rest of India in the Irani Cup. A conversation with teammate Sarfaraz Khan helped recalibrate his approach to big innings. Sarfaraz bhai told me it was important that I batted deep after getting set as I wouldn’t get off to a good start every time, Sudip explained. Taking that advice to heart, he posted a 133 against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy.

The transition into high-level domestic cricket also involved technical tune-ups with coaches at the Centre of Excellence and state mentors. I worked with the coaches at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) ahead of the Duleep Trophy this season, he noted, detailing sessions with Yere Goud for two weeks alongside Joydeep Mukherjee and Surendra Bhave at Bengal to iron out his mindset and strokeplay across varying pitches.

Now among the BCCI’s players of interest, Sudip maintains an average of 52.60 in List A fixtures but recognizes that the multi-day format remains his true test. Every day and every session is a challenge in first-class format. The ball swings for much longer, and there’s reverse swing as well. Those are missing from white-ball cricket, where the ball comes on to the bat a lot better, he said. With 258 runs at an average of 51.60 in the current Ranji season, his sights remain fixed on continuous improvement.