As young sensation Prithvi Shaw & captain Aditya Tare took guard at Wankhede on Thursday 9th Nov at 9:30 AM they become part of something special, something historic. It was Mumbai?s 500th Ranji Match & indeed an occasion to remember. The winner of 41 Ranji Trophy titles, Mumbai Cricket Team was playing a memorable 500th match at the Iconic Wankhede stadium. The event was not a grand affair like 2011 World Cup Final or Sachin Tendulkar playing his final Test Match but the event was full of emotions & nostalgia.
There were around 300 to 400 people gathered at the stadium most of them were youngsters who were witnessing history unfold at Wankhede. It reminded me of the Ranji Trophy match which I saw at Wankhede stadium in 1991 between Mumbai (then Bombay) & Haryana. It was my first experience of watching cricket match Live from stadium & on the final day stadium was pack to rafters. Mumbai lost the match by 2 Runs & it was greatest ever Ranji Trophy Final played till date. So my romance with Mumbai Cricket began at the age of 10 yrs & after the arrival of Sachin Tendulkar the bond became even stronger.
Batting Talent of Mumbai Cricket
Whenever Sachin Tendulkar was playing for Mumbai from his busy International schedule I made it a point to go to Wankhede to catch the glimpse of little master. I still remember Sachin Tendulkar?s epic innings of 222 against Tamil Nadu at Wankhede. All those moments made Mumbai Cricket special for me. However, Mumbai Cricket is not just about Sachin Tendulkar. There are many legends whose contribution to Mumbai Cricket is priceless. From CK Nayudu to Vinoo Mankad, From Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Sandip Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri to Sanjay Manjrekar, Vinod Kambli, Amol Muzumdar Mumbai cricket has always been blessed with special batters at its disposal. Current Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane & Rohit Sharma have proved themselves at International level.
Talented Bowlers from Mumbai
However, it?s not only about the Batsman Mumbai has been home to talented bowlers some of them even went on to play for India. Ramakant Desai, Subhash Gupte, Raju Kulkarni, Abey Kuruvilla, Sairaj Bahutule, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan to name a few. Current Mumbai speedsters Dhawal Kulkarni & Shardul Thakur are also doing well whenever they get a chance at International level.
Mumbai was the winner of the first ever Ranji Trophy competition which was played in 1934-35 & since then has bossed Indian Domestic cricket for around seven to eight decades by winning 41 Ranji Trophy Titles. Also, known as ?Mecca of Indian Cricket? there are some qualities that make Mumbai Cricket the champion team they are. Never say die-spirit & the ?Khadoos? attitude of Mumbai Cricketers have been talking point for many over the years.
After commuting for two hours in a crowded Mumbai train, no cricketer is ever going to give it away on a platter to the next one waiting in the tent. The city breeds the ?Khadoos? attitude in its cricketers which was on show at Wankhede during Mumbai?s 500 Test Match when the young emerging Mumbai batsman Siddhesh Lad along with Ajinkya Rahane & Abhishek Nayar managed to salvage a draw against Baroda & saved Mumbai from an embarrassing inning defeat in its 500 Test Match.
Like the city, Mumbai cricket too has its local lingo. Terms like Paata (flat wicket); Popatwadi, Dharpakad or Komti Team(ordinary opposition); Zhaad Kaap (agricultural shot), Lightbulb Kaadla (a catch that sticks in an outstretched palm), Patang Udav (aerial shot) are familiar to any Mumbai cricketer.
So as the journey of Mumbai Cricket reached an epic milestone of 500 matches at Wankhede, just hope Mumbai celebrates the occasion by winning its 42 Ranji Trophy title. The current Mumbai team has the talent to go all the way & win the title yet again. Best of Luck to Team Mumbai for their future matches. #LongLiveMumbaiCricket
Wasim Jaffer should have been mentioned too. He was instrumental at least in two ranji seasons in Mumbai lifting the trophy. Also, highest run-getter in the history of ranji trophy.
As on today, Karnataka is the side to beat. They have the best batting line-up.
Yeah. you are right, just forget to mention his name. Thanks for reminding. He was a Class player but never made much of the limited opportunities he got at the International Level