Ranji Trophy: Prithvi Shaw's superb knock puts Mumbai on driver's seat in quarter-final against Baroda

Mumbai and Baroda are squaring off in the quarter-final clash of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai. The spotlight of the thrilling encounter was stolen by Prithvi Shaw, the star batter for Mumbai. In a stunning twist, Shaw, usually opening, found himself batting fifth and promptly scored an impressive 87 off 93 balls, adorned with ten fours and two sixes.

This brilliant performance comes after Shaw's hiatus from professional cricket due to a dip in form and fitness. Making a resilient comeback to first-class cricket, he showcased his prowess in the previous match, notching up a splendid century. Shaw's resurgence is gaining momentum, and eyes are now turning towards his future endeavours, notably the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024.

In the recent fixture against Baroda, Shaw's innings was complemented by a stellar show from wicketkeeper-batter Hardik Tamore (114 off 233), who hammered a brilliant hundred, contributing significantly to Mumbai's imposing total. Thus, the youngsters stepped up to the occasion when big names failed to deliver for the 41-time champions.

Also Read: ‘I'm not thinking too far off’ - Prithvi Shaw focused on Ranji Trophy currently instead of India comeback

Ajinkya Rahane departs for duck

Meanwhile, Mumbai skipper and former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane seems to be off his actual abilities with the blade. The veteran batter had yet another disappointing stay at the crease, as he departed for a duck after scoring a mere 3 runs in the first innings. Thus, a flop show for the Ashwi-KD-born might be a sign of concern for Mumbai, if they move to the semis.

Earlier in 2023, Rahane featured for India in the World Test Championship final, where a played a solid 89-run knock when all other batters failed. In fact, he had India's highest individual score during the clash at The Oval, which the team eventually lost. Later, the Chennai Super Kings batter also played two Tests against the West Indies, before being mysteriously sidelined from the team.

The entire first-class season hasn't been great for the experienced batter, which is clearly indicated by his underwhelming stats in the tournament. In twelve innings of Ranji Trophy 2024, Rahane has 118 runs at an average of 9.84, including a solitary fifty-plus score. However, the cricketer has always bounced back stronger from the setbacks, and thus, fans may expect him to have an impressive season, especially in the IPL 2024, where he represents MS Dhoni's five-time champion franchise, CSK.