Srinagar: Shams Mulani has been one of the most consistent players in the domestic circuit over the last four seasons and he has the numbers to prove it: 170 wickets and 1,248 runs in the Ranji Trophy. But when it comes to rewarding the left-arm spinner, he sits down in the pecking order. Despite having a successful 2024-25 season in which he took 44 wickets – the third best in the list of most wickets – and scored 365 runs, he was overlooked for the multi-day matches against Australia ‘A’ last month. So it’s no wonder the Mumbai lad is disappointed, but he’d rather let his skills do the talking than keep talking about them. On Thursday, he showed what he was made of when he scored a patient 161-ball 91 to play a crucial role in Mumbai, hitting 386 on the second day of their Ranji match against Jammu and Kashmir.Since the 2021-22 Ranji season, Mulani has been consistent in both departments. That season, he topped the wicket-taking charts besides scoring 321 runs. In 2022-23, he was the second highest wicket-taker with 46 scalps and 209 runs. The 28-year-old continued his good work in 2023-24 with 34 wickets and 353 runs. Mulani, however, doesn’t want to get into the debate about why he was ignored and what he’s focusing on this season, even if it means starting from scratch, erasing what he’s done in the past. “In my mind, my job is to keep performing. In cricket, you can get that chance at any time and I have to be ready for it. I keep improving to be ready when I step in. Over the last four-five months, I have been working on improving my skills. After that, whatever happens, happens, but I shouldn’t miss out on effort,” Mulani said. Throughout her career, Mulani has proven her doubters wrong. When he made his debut for Mumbai in a T20 match in the 2017-18 season, he was primarily seen as a white-ball specialist. He made his Ranji debut the following season but was not that impressive. But his fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude led him to go back to the drawing board to improve his red-ball game, and the results were there. In 2019-20, he picked up 26 wickets and has since become Mumbai’s first red-ball cricketer. During his career, he has seen it all, ups and downs, so he doesn’t get upset when he isn’t picked. “Throughout my career, I have come across people who felt that I didn’t have it in me to continue to perform well. So, my mindset has always been to prove people wrong and that starts with myself. When I had just come into the Mumbai team, it was felt like I was a white-ball bowler. Then I changed my mindset, I improved my red-ball skills, I breaks into Mumbai team Ranji and I did well,” Mulani said about his mindset in dealing with setbacks. Patience is key, he believes a player’s job is to perform and move forward. “When you deliver, in the back of your mind, you always think about getting selected. But then you look at someone like Sarfaraz Khan, who got an opportunity after playing for a long time. So, I keep his example in front of me and keep telling myself to keep playing. The opportunity will come, when it has to come but for that, I can’t keep thinking that I have done so much and should get an opportunity,” Mulani explained.He added: “In cricket, there are no guarantees. One way or the other, I don’t get a place in the Indian ‘A’ team this time, but there is always next time. Whatever the competition… Ranji, Duleep… I have to keep showing that I am performing well and helping the team win.” In an era where even national teams rely on video analysis to unlock secrets, it’s not easy to stay on top over a long period of time without evolving. Mulani says every bowler must keep adding new weapons to their repertoire to stay one step ahead of their opponents.
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So how does he do it? “I sit with my coaches and analyze where I performed better, how can I improve it further. What are my weak points, how can I improve it? How can you change your plan midway through the game if a batter is playing you well? The idea is to think fast and outwit them. If you have multiple options up your innings, it will help you in the long run. Using your head on the spot helps and I thrive on that,” said Mulani.Mulani has once again had a strong start to the season and will continue to knock on the door until that call comes.
