Ranji Trophy: Tushar Deshpande’s hat-trick blitz puts Mumbai in control vs Chandigarh

MUMBAI: Tushar Deshpande, eager to make a point after being left out of the India A squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour, produced a fiery spell on his 50th first-class appearance to put Mumbai in complete control against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.Deshpande took 5/17 in seven overs, including a hat-trick, as Chandigarh were bowled out for 78 in 19.1 overs in reply to Mumbai’s 429 on day two of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match. Mumbai enforced the follow on, and Deshpande struck again in the only over of Chandigarh’s second innings, cleaning up Vishu Kashyap with another sharp incoming delivery. Chandigarh ended the day at 0/1, with Deshpande’s match figures reading 6/17. With national selector SS Das watching from the MCA President’s Box, Deshpande delivered a statement performance, appearing a threat with almost every ball.Mohit Avasthi also joined the act, taking 3/9 in six overs, as Mumbai secured a massive 351-run first-innings lead. On Tuesday, the hosts will look to wrap up a bonus-point win. Chandigarh, who entered domestic cricket only in 2018-19, collapsed to their lowest first-class total.Deshpande began by having opener Arsalan Khan chop one onto his stumps in the seventh over. He then entered the record books in the 11th over, dismissing Arjun Azad, Shivam Bhambri and Deepinder Kush off successive deliveries.Azad top-edged a hook to Sylvester D’Souza at long leg, Bhambri was bowled by a pacy delivery that hit the top of off stump, and Kush edged to Yashasvi Jaiswal at first slip.Deshpande became the sixth Mumbai bowler to take a first-class hat-trick, and the first to achieve the feat at the Wankhede. Jahangir Khot, Umesh Kulkarni, Abdul Ismail, Royston Dias and Shardul Thakur are the other Mumbai bowlers with firstclass hat-tricks. It took Deshpande just 20 balls to complete his sixth firstclass five-wicket haul, trapping Raj Angad Bawa lbw for a four-ball duck. Chandigarh lost five wickets for four runs, sliding from 25/1 to 29/6.Earlier in the day, Deshpande had also chipped in with 44 off 47 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes. Chandigarh may have been dismissed for less than 50 but scored 51 off 6.1 overs from Mumbai’s third seamer Sylvester D’Souza, who took two wickets. Mumbai vice-captain Ayush Mhatre did not take the field, with Suved Parkar substituting for him. Earlier, Mumbai’s lower order again made a significant contribution. Resuming on 249/5, Mumbai lost captain Siddhesh Lad for 86 and Shams Mulani for 39 early in the day, but Tanush Kotian, Avasthi and Deshpande lifted the total to 429.Kotian made 58 off 91 balls, while Avasthi scored an unbeaten 56 off 119 balls, his fourth first-class half-century. The trio helped Mumbai add 180 runs on Monday and kept Chandigarh in the field for two sessions.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.