Ranji Trophy: J&K Beat Mumbai by Five Wickets After a Decade

Mumbai: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) pulled off a remarkable win by defeating the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai by five wickets at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC on Saturday.

This victory marked J&K’s second win over Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, with their previous triumph coming in the 2014-15 season when they defeated the domestic giants by four wickets at Wankhede Stadium.

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J&K’s Remarkable Chase Secures Top Spot in Elite Group A

Despite Shardul Thakur’s valiant century in Mumbai’s second innings, J&K displayed remarkable resilience to chase down the 205-run target on Day 3. With this win, J&K secured the top position in Elite Group A.

Mumbai’s second innings began with added pressure after conceding an 86-run lead to J&K in the first innings. Skipper Rohit Sharma, making his Ranji Trophy comeback after over nine years, played an aggressive knock, striking a couple of boundaries and three sixes in his 35-ball 28. However, his dismissal by Yudhvir Singh marked the beginning of Mumbai’s batting collapse.

Shardul Thakur’s Counterattack

Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed a steady 26 runs, but Mumbai’s middle order, including Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Shivam Dube, failed to capitalize. Mumbai was left struggling at 101 for 7, with pacers Umar Nazir and Yudhvir Singh dominating with the ball.

At this point, Shardul Thakur took charge with a stunning knock, scoring 119 off 135 balls, including 18 boundaries. Tanush Kotian supported him with a gritty 62 off 136 balls. The duo added crucial runs to push Mumbai’s total to 290, setting J&K a challenging 205-run target.

J&K’s Chase Led by Top Order and Mushtaq’s Quickfire Knock

J&K’s chase was built on solid contributions from their top order. Opener Shubham Khajuria played a steady knock of 45 runs, while Yawer Hassan (24) and Vivrant Sharma (34) supported him in stabilizing the innings.

However, it was Abid Mushtaq and wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan who guided J&K to victory. Mushtaq played a quick-fire knock of 32, while Wadhawan ensured the chase was completed with minimal hiccups. J&K reached the target with five wickets in hand, capping off a historic win.

Mumbai’s Struggles in First Innings and J&K’s Advantage

Earlier, in the first innings, Mumbai’s batting collapsed, folding for just 120 runs. Shardul Thakur’s half-century was the only bright spot, while J&K’s pacers Umar Nazir and Yudhvir Singh dismantled the Mumbai lineup, claiming four wickets each.

J&K responded with 206 in their first innings, taking an 86-run lead. Shubham Khajuria led the charge with a composed half-century, while Abid Mushtaq’s quick-fire 44 off just 37 balls provided J&K with a crucial boost. Mumbai’s Mohit Avasthi picked up a five-wicket haul, but it wasn’t enough to stop J&K from establishing a significant first-innings advantage.