Ranji Trophy 2025: Upto the team to lift Sarfaraz Khan’s spirits, says Mumbai’s Siddhesh Lad

As Mumbai looks to shake off the disappointments of two consecutive draws and return to winning ways, vice-captain Siddhesh Lad made it clear that the team wants to end the first leg of the Ranji Trophy on a positive note.

After an away game against Rajasthan, Mumbai will play its next couple of games at home against Himachal Pradesh and Pondicherry respectively. “Both these matches are very important for us. We have to finish the first leg well. I feel as a team we have done well. We made some mistakes in the first innings (against Rajasthan) but we have learned from our mistakes,” Lad said on Friday.

After a ‘flat pitch’ hurt Mumbai’s chances in its previous match in Jaipur, returning to action on home turf will be a boost for Mumbai. 

“Of course, if you are playing at home, you know the conditions, (and) everything about the pitch. We are well prepared. We know that it is very important to win both the games for us if we want to qualify for the knockouts,” he said.

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Asked whether the team is under pressure, the seasoned campaigner said: “Any game for Mumbai, (or) even in club cricket, pressure will be always there. If we play for Mumbai, all (of) India watches your score (and) your scorecard. There are always high expectations from the Mumbai team…”

“Even if we lose the finals, it is counted as a bad year for us, so there is always pressure. But now, my experience has helped me to overcome the pressure when the team needs it,” he added.

There will be particular focus on Sarfaraz Khan. After falling out of favour and being dropped from the Indian team, the batter has struggled to get going this season, but Lad backed him.

“In the end, he is a human being and everyone makes mistakes. There is always that (rough) patch for big players. If we look at the last four to five years, he has consistently scored runs,” Lad said.

“Somewhere, it could be demotivating as a player but at this time, it is up to us as a team and support staff to lift him up. We know his potential and if he plays (well), he will play big innings. As a team, we will try to lift his confidence in any way we can.” 

Published on Nov 07, 2025