Mumbai all-rounder Shams Mulani has had a first-class match of his life in the Duleep Trophy 2024 second round. After scoring a match-saving 89 in the first innings for India A against India D, Mulani now starred with the ball and with his quick thinking in the field.
Not only did he pick up four wickets in the game, the 27-year-old was able to inflict a rare type of run out. Yash Dubey, opening the batting for India D, was the victim of a stroke of misfortune and a brilliant piece of game alertness by Mulani.
Striker Ricky Bhui had played a ball bowled by Mulani down the ground, but the ball happened to deflect off non-striker Dubey’s bat. However, Dubey, thinking that the ball had slipped through, attempted to sneak a quick single.
However, an alert Mulani noticed that the ball hadn’t gone too far, and grabbed it and dislodged the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Dubey was late to react, and had to walk back to the pavilion. He was dismissed on a score of 37 off 94 balls.
India A registered a thumping 186-run victory, despite struggling at 94/5 in their first innings. Mulani’s resilient 89 had helped India A to go from there to a total of 290, after which they took a 107-run lead as India D were bowled out for just 183.
Notably, India D captain Shreyas Iyer made a duck, after walking out to bat wearing sunglasses.
In the second innings, centuries by Pratham Singh and Tilak Verma helped India A set a mammoth target of 487. India D were bowled out for 301, with Mulani dismantling the middle order by taking the wickets of Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson, along with his moment of genius by running out Dubey.
Mulani’s all-round performance has been a key factor in India A’s victory in the Duleep Trophy 2024 second round. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball has made him a valuable asset to the team.
