Mumbai set their sights on their 42nd Ranji Trophy title when they lock horns with Gujarat in the final in Indore from Tuesday.
Mumbai set their sights on their 42nd Ranji Trophy title when they lock horns with Gujarat in the final in Indore from Tuesday.
The 41-time champions have dominated the season once again just like how they have been doing over decades. And, the journey to the final has been a smooth one this time in terms of results.
They finished as table toppers in Group A with 30 points with three wins and five draws followed by back-to-back wins in the knock out games – defeating Hyderabad in quarterfinals and Tamil Nadu in the semifinals.
As a team, it seems great effort but when you look at the individual statistics this season, you will be amazed to see no Mumbai player features in the top run-getters or wicket-takers list. Forget top 10, one would struggle to find them even in the top 20s.
The promising Shreyas Iyer is 32nd in the list of highest run-getters. He is the leading run scorer for Mumbai with 629 runs from nine games. On the other hand, dashing Suryakumar Yadav comes at 40th position with 609 runs in 10 matches while skipper Aditya Tare, who has scored 550 runs in 10 matches, is 50th.
In the individual wicket-takers' list, one would find young left-arm spinner Vijay Gohil, playing his first season, at the 39th position with 27 wickets in six games.
Despite no extra-ordinary individual performances from any of its players, Mumbai making to another final is astonishing.
It only suggests that the champion team has gelled as a well-oiled unit rather depending on the individuals.
Mumbai have produced a number of international stars for India, but it has been bereft of their availability when it needed them the most. Hence this is not new.
The season was full of doubts for the defending champions. It had to deal with injuries of its players – opener Akhil Herwadkar and seamer Dhawal Kulkarni (mid of the season), the superstars – Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane – were busy with their national duties or side-lined with injury.
Skipper Tare had to be content with whatever bowling combination he had. Herwadkar's injury added to the opening woes till the 17-year-old opener Prithvi Shaw gave another hope with a match-winning ton on debut in the semifinals.
Struggling with all these issues, it is commendable that Tare and Co. came up with another dominating performance. And, veteran all-rounder Abhishek Nayar deserves a special mention considering the kind of performances that he has given with both the bat and ball when the team needed the most in different games.
Mumbai's chief selector Milind Rege is impressed with the fight that the team has put up. "It is fantastic. We have always believed in playing as team, after all cricket is a team game. It doesn't matter if you score 1,000 runs or take wickets in bulk and your team doesn't make it to the final or win it. Cricket is a team game and Mumbai has always played it like a team," Rege told DNA.
"Every individual has contributed to the team's success. We don't pick side on the basis of who has the potential to play for India, but whether he could fit in the combination or is he a team-player who can help the team win. Mumbai fight together and the lion comes back hard when it is cornered, and that is what happened," he said.
Rege said that Mumbai has always been like that. "The mindset is not to let the team down and fight for life. Never mind if you don't play for India, but want Mumbai to win at any cost. This is ingrained in every Mumbai player's mind and we don't teach them. Khadoos sounds ordinary but it is a fact as we fight day in and day out."
"Look at Shreyas Iyer. He scored 1,000 runs last year, but he could not make it to the Indian team. He is back again to prove and win the title for Mumbai," he added.
n-zone 9
Number of centuries scored by Mumbai batsman this season. Also, No. of 5-wicket hauls by Mumbai bowlers including 2 each by Dhawal Kulkarni and Vijay Gohil
DID YOU KNOW?
Mumbai have used 23 players in the 2016-17 season
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