Mumbai: All-rounder Shardul Thakur became the only fifth Mumbai player to take a hat-trick in the Ranji Trophy history. Thakur achieved the incredible feat during Mumbai's last group-stage clash against Meghalaya at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy here on Thursday, January 30.
Shardul Thakur, who has been away from the Indian side since December 2023, dismissed Anirudh B, Sumit Kumar, and Jaskirat in the third over, and became the second bowler to take a hat-trick in the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season after Himachal Pradesh’s Rishi Dhawan against Pondicherry.
In the next over, Mohit Avasthi took his second wicket as Mumbai reduced Meghalaya to 6 wickets for only 2 runs in 3.1 overs. Before this match, Thakur had 17 wickets this season at 28.47.
Mumbai will now need to rely on other results if they wish to qualify for the quarterfinals. Mumbai now relying on J&K to do them a favour in round seven by beating Baroda themselves.
List of hat-tricks by Mumbai bowlers in Ranji Trophy:
1) Jehangir Behramji Khot (Bombay) vs Baroda - 1943/44
2) Umesh Narayan Kulkarni (Bombay) vs Gujarat - 1963/64
3) Abdul Moosabhoy Ismail (Bombay) vs Saurashtra - 1973/74
4) Royston Harold Dias (Mumbai) vs Bihar - 2023/24
5) Shardul Thakur (Mumbai) vs Meghalaya - 2024/25
Earlier, in Mumbai's previous game, Shardul smashed a fifty in the first innings and a century in the second in a try to help his side emerge triumphant against Jammu and Kashmir and book a seat in the quarterfinals. However, despite his heroics, Mumbai failed to secure a win.
