File Pic: Siddhesh Lad
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. 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. 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.
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.” The secret behind their rollicking start lies in contributions coming from all quarters. 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. the real advantage lies with Mumbai, whose players have featured extensively at the historic venue in local cricket While it is technically Railways’ home match with them picking CCI as their venue. 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.
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. 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.