Ranji Trophy: Shardul hopes for continuity as Mumbai moves to Wankhede for Pondicherry match

After a much-needed win against Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai will move to the Wankhede Stadium for its next Ranji Trophy outing against Pondicherry, and captain Shardul Thakur believes adaptability will be the key.

Since January 2024, Mumbai has played just twice at Wankhede – in a group league fixture against Uttar Pradesh and the Ranji Trophy final last year – and preferred the MCA-BKC ground as its ‘home base’.

But this time around, with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) allotting the next game to the iconic venue, the players need to regroup quickly.

“There is not much difference in the soil at Wankhede. But in terms of ground conditions, we know that it has a sand-based outfield. So, in terms of adaptation, that will be key for all 11 players when they are fielding,” Shardul said.

“They just need to be aware that the ground surface has changed. So whatever their individual preparations are, we need to be prepared as a team while switching to sand-based ground from a normal ground…”

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The last time Mumbai played at Wankhede, it won its 42nd Ranji Trophy title. But the side doesn’t want to dwell on the past. After returning to winning ways, following two consecutive draws, Mumbai hopes to keep the momentum going.

“After today’s result, if I look back, we could have easily been sitting on 20 points. But we know in the second game, there were weather interruptions, and we lost a lot of game time. So yes, I think I am happy wherever we are positioned right now,” Shardul said, adding: “From here, we just need to keep playing good cricket…”

Despite being a consistent performer, an India-A berth has eluded Shams Mulani, but Shardul is confident that hard work will eventually pay off.

“India has a lot of talented players, and it’s really up to selectors what they are looking at. And the kind of performances Shams is putting up, he will get his due, I am sure, one fine day,” Shardul said.

“And India is a big country. So, we need to understand that only 15 people can play for India, or only 15 people can play for India A. That makes the count to 30. And we have hundreds of good players playing in the country. So, he will get his due at some point. He just needs to be patient at the moment,” Shardul added.

Published on Nov 10, 2025