Ranji Trophy: Mumbai look for fourth win on the trot

MUMBAI: Mumbai have started their Ranji Trophy campaign with three bonus-point wins on the trot and there is no chance of relenting when they square off against Railways at the Brabourne Stadium from Monday.Mumbai kicked off the 2026-27 campaign under new skipper Siddhesh Lad with an innings-and-155-run win over Chandigarh. The 42-time champions then toppled Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 97 runs in an away match before recording a 10-wicket victory over Haryana in their last outing.The secret behind their rollicking start lies in contributions coming from all quarters. In the first game against Chandigarh, India players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan got out cheaply, but others rallied to help Mumbai post 429 in the first innings. Tushar Deshpande then turned up the heat with a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, to rattle the visitors, from which they never recovered.In the second game, Deshpande once again led the charge with figures of four for 46 as Mumbai bowled out Himachal Pradesh for 140 in the first innings. Mumbai then posted 528/8 declared thanks to centuries from Sarfaraz Khan (154) and Akash Anand (117*), before Mohit Avasthi's 5/44 ensured Mumbai did not have to bat again.In the last game at the BKC ground against Haryana, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (114) and Musheer Khan (109) struck centuries to help the home side post 430 in the first innings. Musheer (6/85) then rolled his arm over to run through the Haryana line-up and help Mumbai enforce the follow-on. In the second innings, it was Tanush Kotian's turn to display his wares as the off-spinner claimed 8/81, his best first-class figures, to ensure a result remained possible. Raghuvanshi (67*) and Divyaansh Saxena (30*) then sealed a 10-wicket win and another bonus point for Mumbai.While Mumbai have garnered 21 points from three games, Railways' campaign has struggled to take off, with just two points in their kitty. In the first two games, they conceded first-innings leads before losing to Tamil Nadu by five wickets in their last outing.While it is technically Railways' home match with them picking CCI as their venue, the real advantage lies with Mumbai, whose players have featured extensively at the historic venue in local cricket.Mumbai opener Divyaansh Saxena feels that will play into his side's hands. "It's a good opportunity for everyone. We have been playing at CCI since childhood and it's actually a home game for us. We know the wicket well and how it will pan out over the next four days."That, however, does not mean Mumbai will take it easy. On the contrary, Saxena said: "Yes, we have got bonus-point wins, but everyone is looking forward to finishing the first half of the Ranji Trophy well before we move on to the white-ball tournaments."For Railways skipper Bhargav Merai, the team is missing the final push that can turn competitive performances into victories. "We have been competing well, but the push isn't coming and we aren't able to finish games. Hopefully, if we get into a good position in this game against Mumbai and grab our chances, the result may go in our favour," said Merai.Mumbai retain same squadWith Shardul Thakur still sidelined by injury, the Mumbai selection committee, led by Rajesh Pawar, decided to stick with the same 16-member squad. The 34-year-old has been sidelined since sustaining the injury during a training session ahead of the season's opening round.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.