Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
A four-ball duck in the second innings against Jammu and Kashmir has seemingly put Ajinkya Rahane under pressure. After taking a 61-run first-innings lead, Mumbai were bundled out for 181 in their second dig, presenting their opponents with a serious chance to win the Ranji Trophy fixture in Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir finished Day 3 on 21/1. They need another 222 runs to get over the line on the final day. If they do, it would be their third straight win over the 42-time champions in this tournament.
Mumbai fell prey to collective batting failure in their second innings. Only three batsmen went past 30, Shams Mulani top-scoring with 41. But with transition at the back of the minds of the selectors, Rahane might find himself on a slippery slope going ahead. The former Mumbai and India captain got out for 27 in the first innings.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and the Sanjay Patil-led selection committee gave a glimpse to their future planning with the team selection for the Buchi Babu tournament that preceded the Ranji Trophy. Eighteen-year-old Ayush Mhatre led a young Mumbai squad there. The selectors stuck to the tried and tested for the team’s Ranji Trophy opener, but after an underwhelming 2024-25 season, by Mumbai’s standards, Indian cricket’s most decorated side can’t afford to have another fallow campaign. Mumbai play the Ranji Trophy to win it and anything less than that is considered unsuccessful.
Rahane led Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup triumphs in 2023-24. Last term, however, they lost to Vidarbha in the semi-final, with their skipper having a moderate campaign — 467 runs at 35.92 from nine matches. A change in captaincy took place before the start of this season, as Shardul Thakur took over from Rahane.
The senior batsman announced his decision to step down as captain via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that said: “Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour.”
It added: “With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role.
“I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with @MumbaiCricAssoc to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season.”
Rahane read the room, and it was a wise decision. At 37 years of age, international cricket probably has passed him by, while the conveyor belt of Mumbai cricket continues to churn out young talents. Players like Angkrish Raghuvanshi are waiting in the wings.
It’s only the first game of the season and maybe it’s a little too early to come to a conclusion. Rahane has been a fantastic servant of Mumbai and Indian cricket and moving on from him would be a big call.
If Mumbai manage to pull off a win on the fourth day, the hierarchy is unlikely to rock the boat. In case of a defeat, though, the possibility of a shake-up is not completely ruled out.
As for the ongoing game, Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi returned with a five-for to rattle Mumbai.
Brief scores: Mumbai 386 and 181 (Shams Mulani 41, Sarfaraz Khan 32; Auqib Nabi 5/52) vs Jammu and Kashmir 325 (Paras Dogra 144; Tushar Deshpande 3/57, Tanush Kotian 2/53) and 21/1
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