MCA announce doubling of prize money for Ranji Trophy-winning Mumbai team

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 14 (ANI): Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Thursday announced the decision to double the Ranji Trophy prize money following Mumbai’s record-extending 42nd triumph at the city’s iconic Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai clinched their 42nd Ranji Trophy title following their 169-run victory over Vidarbha at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday. An additional sum of Rs five crores will be paid to the Ranji-winning Mumbai team.

The secretary of MCA, Ajinkya Naik said in a statement, “MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) president Amol Kale and Apex Council has decided to double the Ranji Trophy prize money. The MCA will pay an additional sum of five crore of rupees to the winning Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. It has been a great year for the MCA as the association has won 7 titles and we have made it knockout stage in all age groups in BCCI tournaments.”

Coming to the match, Vidarbha opted to bowl first and bundled out Mumbai for 224 in their first innings, with Shardul Thakur (75) and Prithvi Shaw (46) doing the bulk of the scoring. Yash Thakur (3/54) and Harsh Dubey (3/62) were the top bowlers.

Mumbai got a 119-run first-innings lead as Shams Mulani (3/32), Tanush Kotian (3/7) and Dhawal Kulkarni (3/15) bundled out Vidarbha for 105 runs with Yash Rathod (27) and Atharva Taide (23).

Mumbai’s lead increased to 537 runs and a century from Musheer Khan (136), fifties from Shreyas Iyer (95), Ajinkya Rahane (73) and Mulani (50) took Mumbai to 418 runs in their second innings. Harsh Dubey (5/144) was the pick of the bowlers for Vidarbha.

Chasing 538, Vidarbha was 223/5, but a 130-run partnership between skipper Akshay Wadkar (102) and Harsh Dubey (65) gave them a chance to fight. Tanush Kotian (4/95) was the pick of the Mumbai bowlers, Tushar Deshpande and Musheer got two wickets while Dhawal and Mulani got one as they all restricted Vidarbha to 368 runs, winning the game by 169 runs.

Musheer was the ‘Player of the Match’ with his century and two wickets in the second innings.