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Going through probably one of their worst seasons, Delhi have managed to beat Mumbai in Ranji Trophy after a long gap of 42 years. The last time Delhi defeated Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, they had the star-studded side which featured the likes of Chetan Chauhan, Arun Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, Kirti Azad, Madan Lal and Bishan Singh Bedi. The last time Delhi beat Mumbai, India had not won a World Cup, coloured televisions were yet to be introduced, landlines were then a luxury and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was yet to contest in general elections.
Just a couple of weeks after Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) sacked the selection panel and the president Rohan Jaitley said that the current team does not have a single player who can be called a prospect for the national side, the Himmat Singh-led side inspired by outstanding performances from Pranshu Vijayran, Vaibhav Rawal and Divij Mehra have downed the Ranji giants.
As the Goliathesque Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai took the field on January 17, they stumbled upon a spirited Delhi side. On a pitch that had enough for bowlers, Mumbai batters struggled. But Sarfaraz Khan, the man on a mission, took the spotlight away from Delhi with yet another century. All of a sudden, Sarfaraz became the talk of the town while Delhi prepared to catch the visitors off-guard.
The top-order struggled but Rawal and skipper Himmat brought Delhi back in the game. Skipper Himmat missed a well-deserved century as he got out after scoring 85 but the massive 195-run partnership had got the Delhi boys' noses in front. Vaibhav's fighting knock of 114 with some useful contributions from lower-middle order batters helped Delhi post 369 in the first innings and take a 76-run lead.
On Day 4, 20-year-old Divij wreaked havoc with the new ball and got rid of Mumbai top-order batters Prithvi Shaw, Musheer Khan and Armaan Jaffer and Sarfaraz in his first spell. As Sarfaraz got out for a golden duck, soon enough Mumbai found themselves struggling at 37/5 in the 13th over. Rahane led from the front and had help from Tanush Kotian as well.
Rahane and Kotian scored half-centuries to help Mumbai post 170 but it was not enough to post a big total on the board. Divij starred on Day 3 with a fifer as Delhi needed to chase down 95 to pull off a win against Mumbai after more than four decades.
On a bright sunny morning on January 20, Delhi batters just needed to stay calm and chase down a non-threatening total. Anuj Rawat batted as if he was auditioning for an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise as he struck two fours and one six off the first three balls he faced. The left-handed batter could not continue the onslaught and was dismissed by Mohit Avasthi off the fourth delivery.
After Rawat looked to finish the run chase in a hurry, opener Vaibhav and Hrithik Shokeen brought calm in the middle. They ruled out any possibility of Mumbai making a comeback with the 69-run partnership. Shams Mulani managed to break the partnership with the wicket of the opener but it turned out to be a consolation for the spinner. Nitish Rana finished off the run chase in style with a maximum as Delhi ended the wait for a rare win over Mumbai.
Despite the historic win, Delhi have no chance of advancing to the next round, they have made a statement that the transition of Delhi cricket has already begun and in fewer there is a chance that the state will produce prospects for the national side.
