Ranji Trophy: Mulani, Kotian rescue Mumbai against Haryana (Day 1)
08 Feb 2025

Day one of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals saw Mumbai stage a remarkable comeback against Haryana at Eden Gardens.

Haryana's early dominance left Mumbai struggling at 113/7 in 30 overs, but Shams Mulani (91 off 178) and Tanush Kotian (85* off 154) engineered a stunning turnaround.

Their brilliant partnership produced a 165-run stand, taking Mumbai to 278/8 at the end of the day.

Here's more.

Mulani and Kotian's batting prowess shines
Batting brilliance

Despite the tough situation, both Mulani and Kotian batted exceptionally well.

Kotian got off the mark with a crisp backfoot punch toward square early in his innings, while Mulani executed a well-timed uppercut.

Their commendable performance stood out as they handled spinners Jayant Yadav and Nishant Sindhu, who struggled to make an impact on the flat pitch.

Mulani and Kotian's half-centuries boost Mumbai's score
Half-century heroes

Mulani brought up his 19th first-class half-century with a late cut, closely following Kotian.

Meanwhile, their batting prowess helped Mumbai recover from a shaky start to the match.

However, just before stumps, Mulani was caught out by Yadav, falling shy of nine runs for his second century.

Despite this setback, their combined efforts had already significantly boosted Mumbai's score against Haryana.

Haryana's early dominance and Mumbai's recovery
Match progression

Haryana made a strong start as Anshul Kamboj clean-bowled Ayush Mhatre with the very first delivery.

Sumit Kumar also played his part by setting up Akash Anand's wicket with a few outswingers.

However, their dominance was short-lived as Mulani and Kotian took charge for Mumbai.

The duo negotiated the tricky pitch conditions well, taking Mumbai from a precarious position to end the day on a high note.

Currently, Kotian and Mohit Avasthi (0 off nine balls) occupy the crease.

Shams Mulani's FC stats and current Ranji season numbers
Stats

With his stunning knock, the all-rounder has now raced to 2,110 runs at an average of just over 32.

Additionally, he owns 19 fifties and a ton across 49 matches, (69 innings). His highest score reads 100* which he smashed against Meghalaya this season.

With the ball, he owns 224 scalps (AVG: 23.79). Meanwhile, in the ongoing Ranji season, Mulani has smashed 219 runs, (eight innings), including one ton and fifty each.

He also boasts 34 scalps, (two five-wicket hauls).