Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Former players take Mumbai’s outright loss to Baroda in stride

Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane

Just days after celebrating an iconic 15th Irani Cup triumph over Rest of India in Lucknow, Mumbai suffered a shock 84-run loss in a first-round Ranji Trophy Group A match at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Incidentally, the Ajinkya Rahane-led outfit that helped Mumbai bag the Irani Cup after 27 years, went down to Baroda in a Ranji match for the first time in 26 years.

Chasing 262 runs for victory, overnight Mumbai batters Rahane (12) and opener Ayush Mhatre (22) resumed the final day at 42-2, needing another 220 runs. However, only Siddhesh Lad (59) and Test batsman Shreyas Iyer (30) managed to make significant contributions. Baroda left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, who claimed 4-53 in the first innings, dismissed six Mumbai batters to bowl out the visitors for 177 in the second essay.

Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil was disappointed with the performance of the 42-time Ranji champions. "I am extremely disappointed with the performance of the team, leading to this defeat. I expect every player to shoulder his responsibility and exhibit the khadoos Mumbai attitude which we are so well known for. After all, we are Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup champions," Patil told mid-day on Monday.

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The former Mumbai left-arm spinner however, believes the team will bounce back in the next game. "I am confident that we will be playing like champions in the upcoming matches," he added. Former Mumbai skipper Nilesh Kulkarni felt this defeat is a wake-up call for the team. "This team has given us two championships - the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup recently, so I believe it's wrong to judge them on the basis of just this one bad performance. I'm sure we will bounce back. We should believe in the team and support them. I look at this as a wake-up call for this season," said Kulkarni.

Veteran coach Vilas Godbole felt some of the Mumbai batters did not apply themselves. "When Ajinkya, Mhatre and Siddhesh were batting, the pitch did not look unplayable. That's because their technique was good. But the others did not believe in themselves. It was shocking to see some of our top-order batters employing the reverse sweep right from the start. You cannot counter spin like that. But I'm not dejected. The Mumbai batters need to apply themselves and stay on the wicket for longer periods to do well," felt Godbole.