Ranji Trophy quarterfinal: Musheer Khan double ton powers Mumbai

Mumbai: Mumbai took a commanding lead of 257 runs in the first innings as Musheer Khan showcased a stellar performance by remaining unbeaten on 203. The Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the BKC Ground saw Bhargav Bhatt picking a seven-wicket haul. Despite Bhatt’s efforts, Musheer’s resilient batting propelled Mumbai to a total of 383.

In their response, Baroda faced an early setback in their first innings as Shardul Thakur dismissed Priyanshu Moliya for just 1 run. Shams Mulani added to Baroda’s woes by dismissing Jyotsnil Singh for 32. At 65 for 2 in the 23rd over, Shashwat Rawat and skipper Vishnu Solanki steadied the ship, guiding Baroda to 127 for 2 by the end of the second day’s play.

Rawat played a crucial role, amassing 69 runs off 88 balls with nine boundaries, while Solanki contributed an unbeaten 23 runs from 38 balls. The duo formed an unbroken partnership of 62 runs for the third wicket, preventing any further damage to Baroda.

However, the standout performer of the day was Musheer, who converted his maiden first-class hundred into an impressive double century. His unbeaten 203 runs came off 357 balls, featuring 18 boundaries. Musheer’s remarkable innings had laid a solid foundation for Mumbai’s formidable first-innings total, rescuing them from a precarious situation at 99 for 4 on the first day.

The 18-year-old right-handed batter collaborated with wicketkeeper-batsman Hardik Tamore to form a crucial eighth-wicket partnership, adding 181 runs. Tamore displayed resilience, contributing 57 runs off 248 balls, guiding Mumbai from 142 for 5 to 323 before their partnership was broken.

Mumbai eventually concluded their innings at 383 from 140.4 overs. Bhatt continued his impressive bowling, securing three more wickets to finish with figures of 7 for 112 from 42.4 overs. Ninad Rathva complemented the effort with a workload of 38-4-86-3, accounting for the remaining wickets in Baroda’s challenging innings.

Brief scores: Mumbai 383 in 140.4 overs (Prithvi Shaw 33, Musheer Khan 203, Hardik Tamore 57; Bhargav Bhatt 7/112, Ninad Rathva 3/86) lead Baroda 127/2 in 35 overs (Jyotsnil Singh 32, Shashwat Rawat 69; Shardul Thakur 1/25) by 257 runs.