Shardul Thakur has made history by taking a hat-trick for Mumbai in their ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Meghalaya at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC, Mumbai. He became the fifth player in Mumbai’s history to achieve this remarkable feat.
The all-rounder, who impressed with scores of 51 and 119 in Mumbai’s last match against Jammu and Kashmir, showcased his bowling skills this time. The 33-year-old struck early, dismissing Nishanta Chakraborty for a duck in his first over, but that was just the beginning. Thakur went on to dismantle Meghalaya’s batting lineup with a stunning spell.
In the 3rd over of the innings, Thakur bowled Balchander Anirudh for a duck on the fourth delivery, then followed it up with the dismissal of Sumit Kumar on the very next ball. That brought him to his hat-trick delivery, where Thakur remained composed and clean bowled Jaskirat Singh for a golden duck on the final ball of the over. This hat-trick marked the first for Mumbai since Royston Dias’ in the 2023-2024 season.
Mumbai’s bowlers delivered a dominant performance after opting to bowl first in this must-win match, bowling out Meghalaya for just 86 runs. Himan Phukan was the top scorer for Meghalaya with 28 runs, while Pringsang Sangma (19), Akash Choudhary (16), and Anish Charak (17) made small contributions.
SHARDUL THAKUR TAKES A HAT-TRICK IN RANJI TROPHY 🔥
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 30, 2025
– Great news for Team India ahead of the England tour. pic.twitter.com/oLHnr5QO0a
For Mumbai, Thakur was the star with four wickets for 43 runs in 11 overs. Mohit Avasthi also impressed with three wickets, while Sylvester DSouza and Shams Mulani chipped in with two and one wicket, respectively.