The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Elite Group A match between Mumbai and Meghalaya is now taking place at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai, and on January 30 (Thursday), star Indian cricketer Shardul Thakur made history by winning a hat trick for Mumbai. In the final three deliveries of his second over of the game, the 33-year-old fast bowler, who has already been in 11 Test matches for India, removed three Meghalaya batters. Thakur has become the fifth bowler to take a hat trick in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai/Bombay. Royston Dias was the last bowler to take for Mumbai when he dismissed three batters in three balls during the 2023-24 season.
Shardul took his first wicket after dismissing Nishanta Chakraborty on the fourth ball of the match itself. On the fourth ball of the second over he got his second wicket by getting Balchander Anirudh out. Anirudh was dismissed for a three-ball duck after Thakur broke through his defence and bowled him
Shardul got rid of Sumit Kumar for a golden duck on the following ball. Sumit was caught by Shams Mulani, just like Nishanta. By breaking through Jaskirat Singh's defence and bowling his stumps, Shardul completed his hat trick. Jaskirat was dismissed for a golden duck as well.
Thakur's hat-trick helped Mumbai bowled out Meghalaya on 86 runs. Shardul took four wickets, meanwhile, Mohit Avasthi took three, and Sylvester DSouza and Shams Mulani settled with 2 and 1 wickets respectively.
ALSO READ: Where will Virat Kohli and KL Rahul bat on their Ranji Trophy return? Revealed
Bowlers to take hat-trick in Ranji Trophy for Mumbai
Jehangir Behramji Khot (Bombay) vs Baroda – 1943-44
Umesh Narayan Kulkarni (Bombay) vs Gujarat – 1963-64
Abdul Moosabhoy Ismail (Bombay) vs Saurashtra – 1973-74
Royston Harold Dias (Mumbai) vs Bihar – 2023-24
Shardul Thakur (Mumbai) vs Meghalaya – 2024-25
Shardul Thakur's stunning form
In the current Ranji Trophy campaign, the 33-year-old Thakur is performing exceptionally well with both bat and ball, and this is his maiden hat-trick in first-class cricket. Although the defending champions lost to Jammu and Kashmir at the same stadium last week, Thakur struck a century for Mumbai in the previous match. Thakur has taken 20 wickets and scored 297 runs, including a hundred and two-half centuries, in seven games thus far.