Mumbai's 500th Ranji Trophy game: Amol Muzumdar reminisces beautiful time of Khadoos army

"Ranji kaunachi? Mumbaichich." (Whose Ranji is it? It is Mumbai's).

That was a loud cheer from the North Stand crowd that had gathered at the Wankhede Stadium as we completed a victory lap after a historic win in the final against Bengal in 2006-07. It really was a heart wrenching final and an emotionally-charged season. The speeches and the celebrations that followed in the dressing room were proportional to the hard work we had put in towards achieving glory. The joy of lifting that particular trophy that season was even more special as we had two barren seasons in which we did not enter even the final!

The thrill of winning and lifting the Ranji Trophy cannot be explained in words. It had to be experienced. I had the good fortune of lifting that huge, heavy silverware eight times in my 15 seasons with Mumbai.

As Mumbai is set to play their 500th Ranji Trophy match, the first in the country to the milestone, and that is reflected in the number of times they have won the coveted trophy, I cannot but feel nostalgic.

As history is being made, I would like to thank every single cricketer who plays the sport the way it is supposed to be played in this great city of ours.

MUMBAI – the city that never sleeps. Its rich cricketing culture over the years has made every other team in the country look up to it and try to emulate. Not many have come even close to it.

Mumbai cricket still has an aura that separates it from the rest even though it no longer dominates like it used to as others have woken up and found ways of stopping Mumbai's dominance.

But the fact that they have won the Ranji title almost every alternate year still makes it a force to reckon with.

Forty one titles in 83 editions! If this is not a jaw dropping statistic, then what is? That's how dominant Mumbai has been over the years in Ranji Trophy. In fact, in the period between 1958-59 and 1972-73, Bombay (as Mumbai was known then) won the Ranji Trophy title for 15 consecutive years.

For me, growing up in the 1980s, it was the time when the cricketing folklore was at its best. Stories of yesteryear cricketers were inspiring. My father ensured that I had enough knowledge about them so that whenever I crossed their path, I would greet them respectfully.

The stories of Vijay Manjrekar, Subhash Gupte, Ramakant Desai, Ajit Wadekar, Padmakar Shivalkar, Sudhakar Adhikari – all Shivaji Park stalwarts – were told with great aplomb. Not to forget the tales from the other side of Tilak Bridge of Vasu Paranjpe, Vithal Patil, Naren Tamhane, the Amladi brothers – all Dadar Union greats and Shivaji Park's hot rivals in local competitions – were shared regularly on the dining table.

That lion-crested cap is a prized possession of every Mumbai cricketer. The time and date when you receive it can't be forgotten. I was gifted one by my childhood hero and my first Ranji Trophy captain Ravi Shastri on February 12, 1994.

The 1990s and the early 2000s was a dominant time again for Mumbai. There were several champion players around at one time. The dressing room used to be a sacred place. An unwritten rule of 'what happened in the dressing room, stayed in the dressing room' was strictly adhered to.

Now that I have retired, all I miss is the banter that happened within those four walls. In my early years in it, I did realise that a light dressing room is a happy one. But, there were some really serious and curt talks as well. Strategies and plans that were executed in the middle were discussed and designed behind the closed doors.

When you walk into the dressing room, you are often reminded about the rich culture and glorious history. It has been the tradition to pass on the mantle to the next generation.

There was a time when there used to be six to seven players from Mumbai in the Indian team. They said "If you were good enough to play for Mumbai, you were good enough to play for India."

Times have changed and that number has diluted. Still, we have three players who wave the lion-crested flag when cricket is played in blue jersey. People often talk about the unflappable temperament that the yesteryear cricketers used to possess.

'Khadoos' is a term that's used for those cricketers who didn't care about reputation and didn't bother to give an inch on the ground, nor did they expect any. It was because they were supremely confident of their craft. Not for once am I suggesting that the younger lot now is not confident. They extremely are.

But, that steely nerve on the ground is missing. The battles between Mumbai and Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu have been epics. There was no friendly banter on the ground.

Today, I feel that rivalry has defused a bit. It's the effect of the IPL, one can only imagine.

In the last two seasons, I have followed this current lot and they seem to be sorted. They are playing some outstanding cricket. The cricket they play is attractive. I don't have any doubt in my mind that they would make the whole fraternity proud.

This current crop has got a lot of similarities of the teams gone by. They have the capacity to dominate at the domestic level. They are not only talented but are fearless too. It's such an understated quality. That trait is learnt in the famous maidans of Mumbai – the breeding ground for one and all.

There are a numerous cricketers in the maidans who aspire to get into that dressing room but only a select few get the chance. The competition is so high and intense that it gives birth to the fierce attitude that a Mumbai cricketer possesses.

Maidans form the cradle of Mumbai cricket and its cricketers. They hone their skills and learn the tricks of the trade in those harsh, rugged conditions. You would find thousands of super talented players at Azad, Cross, Oval maidans and Shivaji Park trying their hand to learn this noble game.

For me, the beauty of Mumbai cricket lies here in the maidans and with those multi-talented unlimited cricketers who form the crux of competitiveness in club cricket. They are the real heroes.

(Amol Muzumdar is a former Mumbai Ranji Trophy captain who played from 1993-94 to 2013-14 including his first 15 seasons for Mumbai. He captained Mumbai to Ranji title in 2006-07. He still holds the record for the highest score in first-class debut, 260 for Mumbai against Haryana in quarterfinals in Faridabad, 1993-94. He is now a specialised cricket coach and a television commentator)