Vadodara: Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, clinched a 10-wicket haul, including six wickets in the second innings, as Baroda kicked off their Ranji Trophy 2024-25 campaign in sensational fashion, defeating reigning champions Mumbai by 84 runs in the opening round at the Kotambi Stadium.
Chasing a target of 262, Mumbai had ended Day 3 on 42/2, losing key wickets of Prithvi Shaw and Hardik Tamore. With the defending champions still in contention, captain Ajinkya Rahane and Ayush Mhatre were expected to provide some stability. However, Bhatt quickly turned the tide in Baroda’s favour, dismissing both Rahane and Mhatre early on Day 4, giving a critical blow to Mumbai’s hopes.
Shreyas Iyer, who is eyeing a comeback to the Indian national team, then partnered with Siddhesh Lad, attempting to steady the innings. The pair put together a 41-run stand and looked poised to revive Mumbai’s chase. But Bhatt returned to snare the vital wicket of Iyer, who was dismissed for 30, a turning point in the game that opened up Mumbai’s lower order.
With the pressure mounting, Bhatt struck again, removing Shams Mulani and Shardul Thakur, leaving Mumbai’s tail exposed. Despite Lad’s valiant efforts, scoring 59 off 94 balls, Mumbai found themselves on the back foot as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. Tanush Kotian and Mohit Avasthi failed to provide the necessary support, and Bhatt eventually claimed the final wicket of the match, dismissing Lad and sealing the win for Baroda.
Earlier, Baroda in their first innings scored 290, courtesy of Mitesh Patel 86 and Atit Seth 66 as Tanush Kotoan clinched four while Shams Mulani bagged three wickets for Mumbai. Ayush Mhatre on his debut Ranji match scored 52 and was the highest scorer for Mumbai in the first innings as Bhatt’s four wickets and Akash Singh’s three restricted Mumbai on 214.
Baroda, will now travel to Delhi to face Services in their next fixture. Meanwhile, Mumbai will look to bounce back in their upcoming clash against Maharashtra, starting on October 18.
Brief scores: Baroda 290 & 185 (Krunal Pandya 55, Atit Seth 40; Tanush Kotian 5-61, Himanshu Singh 3-50) beat Mumbai 214 & 177 (Siddesh Lad 59, Shreyas Iyer 30; Bhargav Bhatt 6-55, Mahesh Pithiya 2-68) by 84 runs.
–IANS