MI at Ranji Trophy 2024: Mumbai the 42-time CHAMPIONS, powered by ‘Shams the All-rounder’
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There is no better way to ring in the new year than to see talented cricketers showcase their attributes with the bat, ball or fielding in revered domestic competitions. The Ranji Trophy 2024 is up and running, and as a yearly tradition, here is a radar that will help you stay updated on how our MI superstars are faring at the end of each round. Stick around.
Finals | March 10 - 14, 2024
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): 35 wickets, 353 runs, and a bucket full of smiles later, Shams Mulani is a RANJI TROPHY winner. After spinning his way through the Vidarbha batting order to grab three wickets for 32 runs in his 12 overs, the Mumbai all-rounder struck a determined unbeaten half-century to carry the record winners to a definitive score of 418. With Vidarbha given a mammoth 538-run target, Shams came in with a wicket (1/75) and a caught dismissal to power Mumbai to Trophy #42.
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Semi-finals | March 2 - 6, 2024
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): Shams will have a chance to put the 2021/22 Ranji Final demons to rest after Mumbai qualified for the Ranji Trophy 2024 final. While he went wicketless in the first innings, the star spinner wove his magic wand to register an impressive spell of 4/53 (13.5 overs) that engineered a dominating triumph over Tamil Nadu.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): With 41 wickets in nine matches (Madhya Pradesh’s highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy 2024), KK’s brilliant campaign drew close with MP’s 62-run loss to Vidarbha. After bagging a wicket for just two runs in the first innings, he registered 2/76 in his 30 overs in the second. As done throughout the latest Ranji season, KK’s stubborn bowling prowess eased the pressure for the Madhya Pradesh bowling unit amidst the second innings onslaught of Vidarbha, as he tallied an economy rate of 2.50.
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Quarter-finals | February 23 - 27, 2024
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): Shams brought his magic out with the bat and ball again in Mumbai’s entertaining encounter against Baroda. First, he registered a four-wicket haul (4/121) in the first innings, and then he smacked a vital half-century (54 off 103 balls) as the 41-time winners would tally 569 runs in the second innings. Although the game ended in a draw, Mumbai qualified for the semi-finals by virtue of their first innings lead.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): KK proved a vital cog in the mix for Madhya Pradesh as his team sealed a hard-fought, absolute nail-biting four-run triumph over Andhra. Kartikeya scalped wickets in both innings (3/41 and 1/34) to keep the opposition batters in check. He also chipped in with some runs (29 runs) in the first innings.
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): The talented youngster, unfortunately, was kept silent in the first innings of the quarter-final match against Mumbai, with his dismissal coming at the hands of MI team-mate Shams Mulani, and had just walked out to bat in the second when it was time for both teams to shake hands and call the match off. But it was a brilliant run in the Ranji Trophy 2024 that came to an end for young Shivalik. He finished as Baroda’s third-highest run-getter in the tournament, with 483 runs in six games - including two centuries and one half-ton - at an average of 69.
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Group stage | Round 7: February 16-20, 2024
Tilak Varma (Hyderabad): Captain Hyderabad. Check. Win Ranji Plate Group. Double check. TV led from the front in the showdown against Meghalaya, contributing scores of 44 (73 balls) and 64 (50 balls) with the bat and spells of 1/33 and 1/4 with the ball. With this, Tilak ends a victorious Ranji campaign with 412 runs (three hundreds) and 5 wickets in four games.
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): Shams’ contribution to Mumbai’s quickfire victory of innings and 80 runs over Assam was short, apt and meaningful. He smacked a patient 31 off 47 balls in the lower order to carry Mumbai to a first-innings total of 272. With his bag of tricks, the Mumbai star registered figures of 2/8 and 0/21.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): Madhya Pradesh eased into the knockouts, and KK played a vital role with the ball. His 1/73 and 3/31 set the stage for a comprehensive 256-run triumph over Jammu and Kashmir.
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): A determined unbeaten knock of 75 runs off 109 balls from Shivalik helped Baroda remain in the hunt for a target of 424 runs against Uttarakhand. With time running out, Baroda managed to avoid defeat and settled for a vital draw that won them a ticket into the playoffs, where they will meet Mumbai in the quarter-finals.
Nehal Wadhera (Punjab): Nehal fell a few steps short of inspiring Punjab to a win over Tamil Nadu. His contribution with the bat (43 and 109) was one of the positives of his team’s performance at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground.
Anshul Kamboj (Haryana): The Haryana all-rounder was present all over his team’s matchup against Vidarbha. While he registered scores of 31 and 46 to lift the visitors’ charge with the bat, Anshul couldn’t deliver with the ball (1/104 and 2/62) as Vidarbha condemned Haryana to a 115-run loss.
Arjun Tendulkar (Goa): Arjun saved the best for the last, but that wasn’t enough to inspire Goa to get past Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy 2023/24 Round 7 contest. The young all-rounder accrued figures of 45 (70) and 14 (23) with the bat; and 4/49 and 1/18 with the ball on a disappointing day in office.
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Group stage | Round 6: February 9-12, 2024
Tilak Varma (Hyderabad): Tilak Varma’s dream run with the bat continued as he notched his third century of the Ranji Trophy 2024 Plate League. Batting at number four, TV smashed 101 runs off 135 balls (6 x 4s, 5 x 6s) to give Hyderabad a match-winning first innings total of 462/8d. Tilak would also chip in with some bowling spells as he registered figures of 0/6 and 3/30 in either innings.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): If anything, the Ranji Trophy 2024 has given us a new version of Kumar Kartikeya. KK, the all-rounder, was back at it again as he stitched a confident 45 runs in 63 balls for Madhya Pradesh to post 454 in the first innings. When handed the ball, Kartikeya wove effective spells of 1/21 and 3/77 to help MP seal victory by an innings and 52 runs.
Shreyas Gopal (Kerala): The all-rounder championed Kerala’s 109-run victory over Bengal with a late blitz with the bat (50 not out from 56 balls) and the ball (2/96) in the second innings. His performance allowed Kerala to end a run of five matches without a win in the Ranji Trophy 2024.
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): Super Shams made an immediate impact on his return to Ranji action with 2/61 in his 30 overs. This included six maiden overs in the first innings, where Chhattisgarh trailed by one run after being dismissed for 350.
Anshul Kamboj (Haryana): Haryana defeated Jharkhand by an innings and 205 runs, and this victory was written over with a small yet vital contribution from Anshul Kamboj (1/36 and 1/18). Furthermore, this game would also mark the retirement of former MI star Saurabh Tiwary.
Nehal Wadhera (Punjab): Nehal was kept surprisingly silent by the Gujarat bowlers, as he was dismissed for 16 and 17 in their Ranji Trophy 2024 Round 6 matchup. On the fielding front, the ‘Prince of Ludhiana’ played a part in two caught dismissals.
Naman Dhir (Punjab): Like compatriot Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir had a disappointing day in office for Punjab. If anything, Naman produced a tight spell (1/19) in his two overs.
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): With his opponents wary of the talent he brings to the fold, Shivalik Sharma was kept in check by the Madhya Pradesh bowlers in either innings of their Ranji Trophy 2024 match. The middle-order batter would score 15 off 26 balls and 19 from 54 balls.
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Group stage | Round 5: February 2-5, 2024
Naman Dhir (Punjab): The Punjab vs Chandigarh match may have ended in a draw due to persistent rain, but Naman Dhir didn’t miss his opportunity to shower some crucial runs for the team. His 86 runs off 95 balls set the tone for Anmolpreet Singh and Prabhsimran Singh to score runs over 150.
Anshul Kamboj (Haryana): Although his Haryana suffered a narrow one-run defeat to Services, Anshul Kamboj showcased what he brings to the fold with the ball. He registered three-wicket hauls in either innings to finish with match figures of 6/56.
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): Having scored back-to-back hundreds in Ranji Trophy 2024, Shivalik Sharma fell short of notching another fifty-plus score. He hit 45 runs off 92 balls while also bowled a tight solitary over where he gave away only seven runs in Baroda’s draw against Delhi. Furthermore, he was also impressive on the field as he helped Atit Sheth dismiss Ayush Badoni (44) in the first innings.
Vishnu Vinod (Kerala): Vishnu Vinod displayed something new that we often don’t see him do on the field. While we know him as a batter and wicket-keeper, the Kerala star stepped forward to do some handy work with the ball and registered figures of 0/12 in two overs in the first innings and 0/1 (1 maiden) in two overs in the second innings. Earlier in the draw against Chhattisgarh, Agent Vinod recorded scores of 40 (86) and 24 (22) with the bat.
Shreyas Gopal (Kerala): As opposed to compatriot Vishnu Vinod, Shreyas Gopal had a slight off game in the fixture against Chhatisgarh - as he scored five runs and registered 1/26 and 0/23 with the ball.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): It was another one of those occasions where KK produced a short cameo for Madhya Pradesh. First, he grabbed 1/36 - including three maidens - in his 14 overs of the first innings and then returned with maidens in both his overs in the second innings against Himachal Pradesh. The game ended in a draw.
Arjun Tendulkar (Goa): A slight middling dat against Tamil Nadu’s batters for our left-arm seamer, as he remained wicketless in the fixture. His spells saw him return with figures of 0/52 and 0/5.
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Group stage | Round 4: January 26-29, 2024
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): The quote ‘Beware the fury of a patient man’ can be associated with Shivalik’s current form in Ranji Trophy 2024. After a century in the last round, the Baroda starlet carried his team with a decisive 128 runs in 238 balls to a first-innings score of 383 against Jammu & Kashmir. The game would end in a draw at the end of Day 4’s play.
Shreyas Gopal (Kerala): Shreyas Gopal's all-round instincts with the bat and ball took centre stage in Kerala’s draw against Bihar. For starters, he went all guns blazing with his fifth career First Class century (137 runs in 229 balls) to rescue Kerala from 84/5 to 227 in the first innings. With the ball, he would register a spell of 3/94. When the match was adjudged a stalemate, Gopal was still batting on 12.
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): The Shams magic for Mumbai continues! Days after he was conferred with the Lala Amarnath Award for the Best All-rounder in Ranji Trophy 2021-22, Shams Mulani celebrated the honour by smashing half-centuries (57 and 63) against Uttar Pradesh. But that wasn’t enough to power Mumbai to victory, as the opposition batters humbled him during his spells of 1/63 and 1/73.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): KK was everything everywhere all at once with the ball for Madhya Pradesh, as he scripted the second 10-fer of his First Class career. First, he ripped into the Puducherry batting order with a 4/32 that saw them bundled out for just 100. Come the second innings, a chase of 428 runs seemed far from reality for Puducherry as a red-hot Kumar Kartikeya pocketed six wickets in his 13 overs and conceded just 3.46 runs per over. He also chipped in some runs with the bat with scores of 6 and 23 not out.
Nehal Wadhera (Punjab): Although just one run short of a well-deserved half-century, Nehal Wadhera championed Punjab’s low-scoring run chase against Goa. After being dismissed for 0 in the first innings, the ‘Prince of Ludhiana’ made amends by smashing a 27-ball unbeaten 49 - laced with five boundary fours and three sixes - to catapult Punjab to a six-wicket triumph.
Naman Dhir (Punjab): While Wadhera was a match-winner with the bat, Naman Dhir’s impactful performance on the field set the tone of the victory over Goa in Punjab’s favour. He registered two caught dismissals in the first innings and an important maiden out of the only over he bowled. And in the second innings, Naman claimed three catches and conceded just eight runs in one over. A short and sweet performance indeed.
Anshul Kamboj (Haryana): In a match affected by bad lighting conditions, Anshul Kamboj made the most of his chances in the bowling unit by grabbing 2/35 against Maharashtra. The game would end in an eventual draw.
Arjun Tendulkar (Goa): A disappointing day in the office for Arjun, as he recorded batting scores of 23 and 18, and 1/30 from his seven overs against Punjab.
Vishnu Vinod (Kerala): Agent Vinod hit a rare rough stumbling block during Kerala’s drawn match against Bihar. He was dismissed for 0 and 6 in either innings.
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Group stage | Round 3: January 19-22, 2024
Shivalik Sharma (Baroda): The 25-year-old went into hard mode for Baroda, as he smashed 188 runs off the 281 deliveries he faced. His knock, packaged with 26 fours complimented his team-mate Shashwat Rawat’s double hundred as Baroda plotted a match-winning first innings score of 482. Shivalik would also contribute with two catches as his side rounded off a comprehensive victory by an innings and 18 runs against Himachal Pradesh.
Tilak Varma (Hyderabad): Tilak again donned the ‘Captain Fantastic’ role for Hyderabad. TV notched his second successive century in the Ranji Trophy with an unbeaten 103 off 111 balls to power his side to a win by an innings and 198 runs over Sikkim. The knock and match victory (inside two days) came as a good continuation of form for Tilak, who was returning from the IND vs AFG T20I series triumph.
Shreyas Gopal (Kerala): Despite seeing his team go down in a 232-run defeat to Mumbai, Shreyas Gopal went on a shopping spree as he grabbed four wickets in either innings (4/28, 4/82) for Kerala against the 41-time champions.
Shams Mulani (Mumbai): Shams had a good day in office for two reasons: a victory over Kerala and completing 150 wickets in First Class cricket. The magician registered bowling figures of 1/67 and 5/44 while contributing 8 and 30 runs with the bat.
Kumar Kartikeya (MP): KK showed he could bat lower down the order, as he contributed a composed 33-run knock to the cause for Madhya Pradesh in the first innings. Later, he would talk with the ball against Delhi with his spells of 3/43 and 1/33.
Arjun Tendulkar (Goa): This was a game where Arjun made a bigger impact with the bat. The southpaw played a patient innings of 52 runs in 112 balls for Goa as they posted 321 in the first innings against Karnataka. It was a rare game - which ended in a stalemate - where he couldn’t pick up a wicket, ending with figures of 0/70 in 15 overs.
Anshul Kamboj (Haryana): The Haryana player made the smallest yet most significant impact in his team’s victory by an innings and 338 runs over Manipur. Anshul bowled just eight overs in the fixture, but he picked up two vital wickets in the first innings.
Nehal Wadhera (Punjab): The ‘Prince of Ludhiana’ made the most of the little opportunities available for Punjab in their game against Tripura with a half-century (56 off 94 balls) in the first innings. With bad light affecting the entire running of the fixture, the game would end in a draw.
Naman Dhir (Punjab): Unlike compatriot Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir had an off day at work as he was dismissed for one run in the eighth over of the first innings against Tripura.
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Group stage | Round 2: January 12-15, 2024
Shams Mulani: The man with the magic fingers was the hero all the way through for Mumbai in their 10-wicket triumph over Andhra. It started with a patient batting cameo of 38 runs in 111 balls that was crucial in Mumbai’s first innings score of 395. After that, Shams took the ball, claimed a six-wicket haul (6/65), and followed it up with 4/96 in the second innings to help his side bundle out the opponents for 244. Mumbai would chase a modest target of 34 runs inside 8.4 overs, and Shams Mulani was adjudged the Player of the Match for a complete performance with the bat and ball.
Arjun Tendulkar: Goa went on a rampage with the bat (618/7d) in their first innings against Chandigarh, and Arjun played a vital role in the cause. The southpaw smacked 70 runs off 60 balls at a strike rate of 116.66 while batting at number eight. Later in the match, he would also claim a wicket (1/70) as Chandigarh were dismissed for 479. The game would end in a draw.
Kumar Kartikeya: After his spectacular performance in the previous round, KK had a slightly mellow outing with the ball in Madhya Pradesh’s fixture against Odisha. He registered an expensive spell of 2/109 in the first innings and returned with 1/15 in the second when Odisha were chasing 115 against MP.
Anshul Kamboj: The Paltan got their first official look at Anshul Kamboj's all-round skills in the Saurashtra vs Haryana matchup. While he hit seven runs while batting at the very end of the batting order, Anshul claimed a wicket in the first (1/30) and second (1/35) innings as Haryana eventually pulled off a four-wicket triumph.
Naman Dhir: The all-rounder continued to be a vital cog for Punjab, forking out bowling figures of 2/21 in the first innings against a free-scoring Railways and an unbeaten 26 in the second that propelled Punjab to bounce back from an early dismissal (4/1) and push for a draw result.
Vishnu Vinod: Agent Vinod was ever-present in all departments of Kerala’s draw against Assam. Although he was stopped from going all guns blazing with the bat (19) as he was run out, the wicketkeeper made a comeback with positive displays behind the stumps - a catch and stumping in the first innings and two catches in the second innings.
Shreyas Gopal: Kerala were held to a draw by Assam in a game where Shreyas Gopal fell short of inspiring his side to victory. Gopal registered figures of 0/17 and 0/43 with the ball and 18 runs with the bat in Kerala’s first-innings score of 419.
Akash Madhwal: The ‘Uttarakhand Express’ had a short stay in the game against Himachal Pradesh, as he retired hurt while batting on 16 runs. However, while he was nursing his injury, Madhwal would have a smile on his face as his replacement Jagmohan Nagarkoti (5*; 1/72 and 2/23) would propel Uttarakhand to beat Himachal Pradesh by 88 runs.
Nehal Wadhera: It was one of those difficult days in the office for Nehal Wadhera, as he amassed just three runs on the board in the drawn match against Railways. But, all was not gloomy as he played a cameo on the field, assisting compatriot and new MI team-mate Naman Dhir for a wicket in the first innings.
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Group stage | Round 1: January 5-9, 2024
Tilak Varma: You may turn on the television to watch some entertaining show. But how about THE TV SHOW by Tilak Varma? The Hyderabad skipper batted out against the Nagaland bowlers with patience and precision, with an unbeaten century (second of his First Class career) to guide his side to a score of 474/5d that seemed untouchable.
Kumar Kartikeya: The spin wizard was on song with the ball in both innings of Madhya Pradesh’s match against Uttarakhand. KK wove his magic with his unique twists and turns with the ball to notch figures of 4/59 in the first innings while giving away just 1.68 runs per over. In the second innings, Uttarakhand required 375 runs to win, but Kartikeya applied the breaks at timely intervals that helped tilt the game to end in a draw.
Vishnu Vinod: Agent Vinod has, time and again, proven to be a superhero for Kerala in crunch situations. With his team trailing at 32/3 in the 13th over, Vishnu Vinod entered the arena at Alappuzha and smacked a valiant 94-ball 74 to lift Kerala to a first-innings score of 243 against Uttar Pradesh. This batting performance came after a splendid cameo behind the stumps, as he registered two caught dismissals.
Shreyas Gopal: Known to be a vitality person, Gopal showcased the all-round skills that made him an unsung hero in Kerala’s draw against Uttar Pradesh. Initially, he chipped in with 1/33 in his nine overs. Then, Gopal kept his calm and hit 36 runs off 88 balls whilst stitching vital partnerships with Vishnu Vinod and captain Sanju Samson. In the second innings, he claimed another wicket as Kerala fought hard to secure a stalemate against Uttar Pradesh.
Nehal Wadhera: The ‘Prince of Ludhiana’ had a decent outing with the bat as he hit 44 runs off 79 balls in the first innings and 26 runs in the second innings, but that sadly wasn’t enough to engineer Punjab to a win against Karnataka.
Naman Dhir: All-rounder Naman Dhir gave the Paltan an early glimpse of what they can expect in IPL 2024, courtesy of figures of 4 (7) and 20 (44) with the bat while 2/46 and 0/20 with the ball against Karnataka.
Shams Mulani: Captaincy and a win in his first match of 2024 - what a splendid start for Shams. The experienced spinner claimed a solitary wicket in the second innings as his on-field calls powered Mumbai to beat Bihar by an innings and 51 runs in their Ranji Trophy 2024 opener.
Arjun Tendulkar: In tough bowling conditions, Arjun claimed two wickets for 94 runs in the first innings against Tripura, he bowled a tight spell in the second innings despite going wicketless (0/14 in five overs). The southpaw also chipped in with the bat, scoring 11 and 10 runs.