MUMBAI: Given his consistent performance throughout his career, it was no surprise that Shams Mulani hit the ground running in the ongoing Duleep Trophy in Anantapur after being out of action for the past four months.
Before featuring for India A in the Duleep Trophy, his last competitive match was for the Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 27. Since then, he had been sidelined first by a lack of game time with MI and then by a hamstring injury.
When India A were struggling at 144 for six in their first innings, the allrounder scored a crucial 89, forming a valuable 91-run seventh-wicket partnership with fellow Mumbai tweaker Tanush Kotian (53). On Sunday, Mulani also picked up three key India D wickets- skipper Shreyas Iyer (41), Sanju Samson (40), and Devdutt Padikkal (1)-eventually finishing with 3/117, helping shape his team's 186-run win.
"Coming off an injury and not being able to practice much during the off-season was tough, but I'm delighted that my performance was key in the first game of the sea son, helping the team win. It came at the right time for me personally, as well. The Duleep Trophy is an important tournament for players who have performed well in the Ranji Trophy," Mulani told TOI from Anantapur on Monday.
The 27-year-old credited his fine bowling performance to valuable inputs from former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, who is India A's head coach in the Duleep Trophy. "He's someone with a wealth of experience. I'm trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can. He has been quite helpful in the few days I've spent with him, discussing how to bowl on these kinds of tracks," said Mulani, who has picked up 184 wickets in 39 First-Class matches at an average of 23.64, including 13 five-wicket hauls.
Talking about his match-turning partnership with Kotian on Day One- both have rescued Mumbai from crises several times- Mulani added, "Tanush and I have a great understanding, and we've been doing this for a while now. It's not new for us to be in such situations. I think we complement each other well, and the left-right combination makes it tougher for the opposition."
Like many aspiring cricketers in India, Mulani is eagerly looking forward to leading Mumbai's challenge in the Irani Cup against Rest of India next month. A strong performance could strengthen his case for a long-awaited maiden national call-up. "I've won the Irani Cup playing for Rest of India, but I'm super excited to play for Mumbai and try to help the team lift the trophy. I hope I can deliver a good performance," Mulani shared.
Critics have often pointed to his fitness as a potential barrier to his career growth. Seeking to dispel such perceptions, Mulani explained, "These questions have always come up in my career. I've been working hard on my fitness. I've followed disciplined training habits that have helped me shed weight, which I know is essential to playing at a higher level. People have always focused on how I look on the field, but my game fitness and fielding speed were never in doubt."
Having performed consistently well in domestic cricket and for India A, Mulani is aware that he is steadily closing in on an India cap. "I've spoken about this before. I focus on doing everything I can to play for India rather than worrying about when my chance will come," he concluded.
