Bengal opener Sudip Chatterjee was ruled out of the Ranji clash against Gujarat with a knee injury, prompting Kazi Junaid Saifi to replace him under the new injury-substitution rule.
Bengal batter Kazi Junaid Saifi became the first injury replacement in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, coming in for Sudip Chatterjee during the match against Gujarat at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
Opening batter Chatterjee injured his left knee while fielding on Sunday, and Saifi replaced him in the second innings, batting at number three.
The left-hander, however, managed just one run off 11 balls before being caught behind off Siddharth Desai. In the first innings, Chatterjee had scored three off 12 deliveries.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced the injury replacement rule for the 2025-26 domestic season, allowing like-for-like substitutes for players suffering serious injuries during multi-day matches.
The rule had also been in effect during the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, when wicketkeeper Harvik Desai was replaced by Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale, marking the first-ever use of an injury substitute in Indian domestic cricket.
