Unsold player at IPL 2025 Auction smashes 28-ball 73* for Mumbai in Vijay Hazare Trophy clash

Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur smashed an unbeaten 73* runs off just 28 balls during his side's ongoing 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy round five Group C clash against Nagaland at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, December 31. The 33-year-old, who has 307 runs and 94 wickets to his name so far in 94 IPL matches, did not attract any buyers at last month's mega auction. He has also scored four Test half-centuries and an ODI fifty for India.

It was a valuable knock from Shardul towards the end. He was also captaining the side against Nagaland in regular skipper Shreyas Iyer's absence. His knock comprised two fours and eight sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 260.71.

Teenager Ayush Mhatre top-scored for the side, scoring 181 runs off 117 deliveries. Opening alongside Ayush, Angkrish Raghuvanshi registered 56 runs off 66 balls as the duo went on to add 156 runs for the opening wicket. Mumbai eventually posted 403-7 in their 50 overs.

Mumbai at the fourth spot in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy points table

Mumbai clinched the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament, defeating Madhya Pradesh in the final by five wickets in Bengaluru on December 15. This was the second title for them, having won the domestic T20 tournament in the 2022-23 edition as well.

Meanwhile, with two wins out of four matches in the ongoing 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Mumbai are at the fourth spot in Group C behind Karnataka, Punjab and Saurashtra. They possess eight points and a net run rate of +1.757.

While they won against Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh, the two defeats came against Karnataka and Punjab. Next up, they will be facing Puducherry in their penultimate Group C fixture at the Gujarat College Ground, Ahmedabad on Friday, January 3, 2025.

Meanwhile, with four defeats from as many games, Nagaland are placed seventh among eight teams in Group C. They face Arunachal Pradesh in the next encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground in Ahmedabad on January 3.