Abhimanyu Mithun's top 5 spells for Karnataka in first-class cricket

India and Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun recently announced his retirement from all forms of the game. Mithun made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2010 and went on to play four Tests. He played five ODIs, making his debut in the format back in 2010.

While Mithun has not had success at the international level, he has been a massive contributor to Karnataka across formats for almost two decades. He was a member of the twin trebles for the state, winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Vijay Hazare Trophies in 2013/14 and 2014/15. Abhimanyu Mithun also represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Mumbai Indians, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

In 103 first-class games, Mithun picked up 338 wickets at an average of 26.63. The right-arm pacer also played 96 List A and 74 T20s for Karnataka, bagging 136 and 69 wickets respectively.

Abhimanyu Mithun has been instrumental in Karnataka’s success over the years in first-class cricket. He formed a core pace trio along with Vinay Kumar and Sreenath Aravind.

On that note, let's take a look at five of Abhimanyu Mithun's top spells for Karnataka in first-class cricket:

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#5 4/23 vs Bengal, 2019 Ranji Trophy Semi-final

On the final day of the semi-final against Bengal, Karnataka started at 98/3, requiring 254 runs to win. However, they suffered a dramatic collapse, being bundled out for 122 as Bengal entered the final with a thumping win.

Despite the loss, Abhimanyu Mithun had an eventful outing in the game. He bagged four wickets in the second innings that helped Karnataka bowl Bengal out for 161. He removed both the openers – Abhishek Raman and skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran. Mithun then returned to dismiss Arnab Nandi and Akash Deep, ending with figures of 4/23 from 16 overs, an effort in vain nonetheless.

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#4 5/58 vs Odisha, 2013 Ranji Trophy

In a Group A Ranji Trophy game in Cuttack, Karnataka beat Odisha by four wickets, chasing down 127 runs for victory. They piled on a big score of 379 in the first innings, in reply to Odisha’s 226, taking a 153-run lead.

In the second innings, Odisha were bundled out for 279, thanks to a brilliant showing from Abhimanyu Mithun with the ball. He grabbed five wickets to ensure his side had a comfortable total to chase in the end.

Girjia Rout, Govinda Poddar, skipper Biplap Samantray, Subhrajit Sahoo and Deepak Behera were his scalps. HS Sharath also claimed five wickets as the two set up a fine win for Karnataka.

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#3 5/45 vs Vidarbha, 2017 Ranji Trophy

When Karnataka played Vidarbha in the second semi-final of the 2017 Ranji Trophy, Abhimanyu Mithun produced another top spell. On the opening day, Mithun ripped through Vidarbha's batting line-up. He picked up his third five-wicket haul of the season in that game.

In a terrific display of fast bowling, Mithun bagged two wickets in his first spell and three in the next. Courtesy of his heroics, Vidarbha were bowled out for a mere 185 in their first innings. Unfortunately for Karnataka, they eventually lost the game. However, Abhimanyu Mithun had them on top at the opening day.

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#2 6/60 vs Uttar Pradesh, 2019 Ranji Trophy

In an exciting drawn contest against Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Ranji Trophy, Abhimanyu Mithun put up a Player of the Match performance. Mithun picked up six wickets for 60 runs in the first innings, helping Karnataka restrict UP to 281.

They put up 321 runs to take the lead in their first innings. However, Uttar Pradesh fought back in their second innings, declaring at 204/3 as the game eventually ended in a draw.

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#1 6/36 vs Maharashtra, 2012 Ranji Trophy

In their 2012 Ranji Trophy clash, Karnataka trounced Maharashtra by eight wickets. Batting first, they racked up a giant total of 572/9 declared. Maharashtra, in response, were skittled out for a mere 99, as Abhimanyu Mithun bowled a fiery match-winning spell.

He ran through Maharashtra's batting order, ensuring that Karnataka went for the kill. He backed it up with three wickets in the second innings as well.

Karnataka chased down 92 runs with eight wickets in hand in the end. This was one amongst Abhimanyu Mithun’s best spells ever, as it led the team to an emphatic win in the Ranji Trophy.