Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Shams Mulani’s all-round brilliance (132 & 7 wickets) powers Mumbai to a narrow win over J&K.
Brief scores: Mumbai 386 (Siddhesh Lad 116, Shams Mulani 91, Yudhvir Singh 5/96) and 181 (Mulani 41, Auqib Nabi 5/52) beat J&K 325 (Paras Dogra 144, Tushar Deshpande 3/57) & 207 (Mulani 7/46, Qamran Iqbal 56) by 35 runs.
Mumbai, the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions, began their 2025/26 campaign on a positive note, clinching a hard-fought win over Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar. Under the leadership of Shardul Thakur, Mumbai were stretched to the limit by a spirited J&K, but individual brilliance from all-rounder Shams Mulani sealed a narrow 35-run victory.
As it unfolded
Mumbai were put in to bat by J&K skipper Paras Dogra and soon found themselves in early trouble, losing three wickets inside the first session. Former captain Ajinkya Rahane, youngster Ayush Mhatre, and the Khan brothers (Musheer and Sarfaraz) were back in the pavilion, leaving Mumbai in desperate need of a stabilising partnership to get their innings back on track.
Siddhesh Lad was going steady when Shams Mulani joined him after the fall of the fourth wicket. The left-hander and Lad combined to stitch what proved to be a match-defining partnership. The duo added 159 runs in just about 30 overs, completely shifting the momentum in Mumbai’s favour. Although Mulani fell agonisingly short of his second first-class century by nine runs, their stand powered Mumbai to a competitive total of 386.
Mumbai then secured a crucial 61-run first-innings lead, with all their bowlers contributing to the effort. Mulani played his part with the ball, dismissing J&K wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan and Yudhvir Singh. He followed it up with another impactful knock in the second innings, top-scoring with 41 to further strengthen Mumbai’s grip on the match.
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Just like in the first innings, Mumbai’s top order faltered, and century-maker Siddhesh Lad couldn’t make a significant contribution this time. At 70/5, Mulani walked in and stitched together a couple of crucial partnerships, first with wicketkeeper Akash Anand and then with fellow all-rounder Tanush Kotian, to push Mumbai’s lead beyond 200. Eventually, they set J&K a competitive target of 243 on a surface that had begun to show signs of wear and tear.
In the final innings, Mulani brought his A-game, weaving a web around the J&K batters. The fast-bowling duo of Tushar Deshpande and Shardul Thakur provided Mumbai with early breakthroughs, picking up a wicket each, before Mulani took centre stage. He first broke the 53-run partnership between Paras Dogra and opener Qamran Iqbal, then acted as the catalyst for a dramatic middle-order collapse. Mulani claimed seven of the eight wickets to fall, finishing with his career-best bowling figures of 7/46.
In the match, Mulani scored 132 runs and picked up nine wickets to single-handedly guide Mumbai to victory in their season opener. This win holds significant value for Mumbai’s campaign, as they were playing away from home in conditions very different from what they usually encounter. While the red-soil pitches at home typically assist spin, the surface in Srinagar offered plenty of bounce. Mulani adapted brilliantly to the challenge, delivering a match-winning all-round performance.
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Will it be career-defining season for Mulani?
Mumbai has a rich legacy in Indian cricket. Many of the country’s most successful players first made their mark for Mumbai in the domestic circuit, and several others have earned national call-ups on the back of strong performances in the Ranji Trophy. Mulani could well be the next cricketer in line.
This isn’t the first time Shams Mulani has made a strong case for himself. A seasoned campaigner with 52 first-class appearances, he averages 32.77 with the bat, amassing 2,327 runs alongside 244 wickets at an impressive average of just under 24. Notably, he was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2024/25 season with 44 scalps and also contributed 365 runs. With the kind of start he’s had this season, there’s every reason to believe he can surpass those numbers.
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