Spinner Shams Mulani will be Mumbai’s key again

Shams Mulani

Quite clearly, Shams Mulani has been Mumbai's bowling hero in this season's Ranji Trophy. The 41-time champions have won two of their three games, the one loss coming in their last Group ‘B' encounter against Saurashtra at the MCA-BKC ground.

The left-arm spinner claimed 10 or more wickets against Hyderabad and Saurashtra while he had only three in Mumbai's 2022-23 Ranji Trophy opener against Andhra Pradesh at Vizianagaram.

Doubtless, the Amol Muzumdar-coached team will be banking on Mulani against Tamil Nadu in Game 4, which starts at Brabourne Stadium today. The ground has seen some memorable performances from spinners over the years and Mulani will be hoping for another rewarding match.

Mulani, 25, has attracted the attention of Suresh Shastri, the former international umpire and first-class left-arm spinner. "Of all the left-arm spinners I have seen over the last few years, this boy seems to be the best," said Shastri, 67.

Mumbai-based Shastri played his first Ranji Trophy game - for Rajasthan in 1972-73 - as a 17-year-old. In 53 first-class matches, he claimed 155 scalps before he ended his domestic career in 1986-87.

"What I like most about Mulani is that his basics are strong. By that I mean, deception. And the way he lifts his weight off the back foot and transfers it to the front foot, is very impressive. It appears he is maturing well as a spinner and I am sure he will play a crucial role in Mumbai's success this season," remarked Shastri.

It will be interesting to see how the pitch conditions pan out at the Cricket Club of India. "He's a bowler who can do a good containment job on a good pitch and can run through the opposition on a turning strip," signed off Shastri.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy: Not for the faint-hearted!