Mumbai, India: Mumbai registered a dominant victory over Tamil Nadu in their Ranji Trophy encounter, securing a comprehensive innings and 69 runs win.
After bowling out Tamil Nadu for 146, Mumbai found themselves in a precarious position at 106-7. However, a fighting century from Shardul Thakur (100) and crucial contributions from Tanush Kotian (89*) and Tushar Deshpande (42*) led them to a commanding 378 runs.
Kotian and Deshpande continued their impressive partnership, adding another crucial 88 runs for the last wicket, similar to their heroics in the quarter-final.
In pursuit of overcoming the first-innings lead, Tamil Nadu’s batting faltered. Openers fell cheaply to Shardul Thakur, who continued his excellent performance with both bat and ball. Despite a fighting fifty from Baba Indrajith (70), Tamil Nadu were bundled out for a mere 96 runs, handing Mumbai a comprehensive victory.
This win marks Mumbai’s record-extending 47th appearance in the Ranji Trophy final, adding to their existing record of 41 titles. They will have the home advantage, playing at the Wankhede Stadium from March 10-14, irrespective of the outcome of the ongoing Vidarbha-Madhya Pradesh semifinal.