Ranji Trophy 2026-27 | Deshpande hat-trick floors Chandigarh as Mumbai takes complete control

With the October heat at its peak, the Met department had forecast a heatwave in Mumbai on Monday. At the Wankhede Stadium, it was Tushar Deshpande who turned up the heat on Chandigarh on the second day of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener.If Deshpande’s cameo with the bat (44, 47b, 4x4, 2x6) laid the foundation for a trademark Mumbai lower-order resistance, he was venomous with the cherry after tea. His opening burst of 7-1-17-5, which included Mumbai’s sixth hat-trick in First Class cricket, dismantled Chandigarh’s batting line-up.Chasing Mumbai’s daunting 429, Chandigarh was bowled out for a paltry 78 in just 115 balls, its second-lowest total. With time for only one over before stumps, Deshpande struck again, dismissing nightwatcher Vishu Kashyap to leave Mumbai needing just nine wickets to begin the season with a comprehensive victory.It took the 31-year-old four overs to strike, but his sixth over of the innings — the 11th overall — proved decisive. A short ball forced Arjun Azad into a miscued pull, with Sylvester D’Souza completing a safe catch at long leg. The next delivery straightened to beat Shivam Bhambri’s defence and crash into the stumps. Dipender Kush then edged a length ball that rose on him, allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal to take a catch at first slip and complete a memorable hat-trick. Tushar Deshpande celebrates after taking a hat-trick. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI Deshpande completed his sixth First Class five-wicket haul in the following over. Had it not been for Nishunk Birla’s lusty blows, Chandigarh might have failed to better its lowest total of 57.Earlier, Deshpande’s clean hitting had helped Mumbai wrest back control after Raj Bawa briefly threatened to derail the hosts. Bawa removed captain Siddhesh Lad (86, 192b, 9x4), bowled by an inswinger, and Shams Mulani (39, 68b, 4x4, 1x6), adjudged caught down the leg side, in the opening hour to reduce Mumbai to 271 for seven.The last three wickets, however, added 158 runs. Deshpande’s aggression, Tanush Kotian’s 58 (91b, 5x4) and Mohit Avasthi’s 56 n.o. (119b, 6x4, 2x6) took Mumbai to 429 and left Chandigarh to toil in the heat for two sessions.By tea, the visitors had been worn down. Deshpande ensured they would have little respite thereafter.The scores: Mumbai – 1st innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal c Bhambri b Jagjit 0, Ayush Mhatre b Dhanda 48, Musheer Khan c Rana b Dhanda 65, Siddhesh Lad b Bawa 86, Sarfaraz Khan lbw b Dhanda 1, Akash Anand c Arslan b Birla 22, Shams Mulani c Rana b Bawa 39, Tanush Kotian c Kush b Dhanda 58, Tushar Deshpande c Bhambri b Bawa 44, Mohit Avasthi (not out) 56, Sylvester D’Souza lbw b Bawa 1; Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-5, w-1): 9; Total (in 136.5 overs): 429.Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-77, 3-142, 4-144, 5-184, 6-258, 7-271, 8-342, 9-409.Chandigarh bowling: Jagjit 27-5-88-1, Dhanda 26-7-78-4, Bawa 21.5-6-73-4, Birla 37-1-118-1, Kashyap 23-0-63-0, Azad 2-0-6-0.Chandigarh – 1st innings: Arslan Khan b Deshpande 2, Arjun Azad c D’Souza b Deshpande 20, Manan Vohra b D’Souza 2, Shivam Bhambri b Deshpande 0, Dipender Kush c Jaiswal b Deshpande 0, Raj Bawa lbw b Deshpande 0, Akshit Rana b Avasthi 9, Vishu Kashyap lbw b Avasthi 7, Nishunk Birla c Anand b D’Souza 33, Jagjit Singh Sandhu c Jaiswal b Avasthi 0, Rohit Dhanda (not out) 2; Extras (lb-1, w-2): 3, Total (in 19.1 overs) 78.Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-25, 3-25, 4-25, 5-25, 6-29, 7-37, 8-59, 9-76.Mumbai bowling: Deshpande 7-1-17-5, Avasthi 6-3-9-3, D’Souza 6.1-0-51-2.Chandigarh – 2nd innings: Vishu Kashyap b Deshpande 0, Arjun Azad (batting) 0, Arslan Khan (batting) 0; Total (for one wkt. in one over) 0.Fall of wicket: 1-0.Mumbai bowling: Deshpande 1-1-0-1.