Mumbai on guard this time

Mumbai are used to playing without stars. Just that the team looks vulnerable, trying to plug the hole left by Wasim Jaffer8217;s 112.60 ru...

3 min readMumbaiJan 20, 2006 12:00 AM IST

Mumbai are used to playing without stars. Just that the team looks vulnerable, trying to plug the hole left by Wasim Jaffer’s 112.60 runs per inning, which separates a typical Mumbai romp from Ramesh Powar’s desperate rescue missions.

Mumbai topped their group and were in the semi-finals with two games to spare. In the knockout, faced with a knockout, and some forgettable history comprising 20 minutes of batting hara-kiri against Punjab in the semi-finals a year ago, Mumbai are guarding against another batting blunder.

With a makeshift opening pair rendering the top-order suspect, the onus is on the middle order: Vinit Indulkar, Amol Muzumdar and Nishit Shetty. Though not in the immediate radius of national reckoning, the three are never too far from doing the star turns for Mumbai.

Also, all three can look back on previous semi-final encounters for inspiration, on the eve of the 2005-6 edition against UP at the Wankhede.

“We are looking at 400 and one of them has to get the big one. Starts of 30-40 won’t do,’’ declares coach Karsan Ghavri at the outset.

Amol Muzumdar, who has averaged over 70 this season with two hundreds and three 50s, recalls his 125, chasing 370 against MP in 1996-7 and partnering Sanjay Manjrekar. “That is still fresh in my mind, and we had pulled it off well,’’ says Muzumdar. ’’You’ve got to stay calm and feel responsible,’’ he adds.

For Nishit Shetty, who has made it a habit to hit his season-peak when the big matches come calling, managed the big-one two years ago, piping Baroda to the spot in the finals.

Story continues below this ad

“It was a 70-odd, but against a tough pace attack led by Zaheer Khan and on a seamer-friendly wicket. I tend to concentrate harder in the big games,’’ says the Mumbai mainstay.

Indulkar says his bravado vs Maharashtra was a “good learning experience.’’ Having starred with a century in a similarly difficult position against Karnataka, the one-drop batsman is hoping Mumbai doesn’t run into “one of those sessions’’ which spell doom for them these days.

If all else fails, Ramesh Powar is ready with his sledgehammer. “I do well under pressure but I don’t want to play in those circumstances again,’’ the stocky off-spinner says.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

Loading Recommendations...

May 11: Latest News

Live Blog