"It is always great to have a player of his stature" - Shams Mulani on 'true leader' Ajinkya Rahane

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani has lavished high praise on Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane and the leadership qualities he brings to the dressing room.

Mulani himself is also a part of Mumbai's leadership group, as Rahane's deputy. He led the team when the captain injured his hamstring in Mumbai's recent defeat to Uttar Pradesh.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Shams Mulani spoke about how refreshing it was for the Mumbai players to have someone as successful as Ajinkya Rahane lead them. He said:

"Ajinkya Rahane is a true leader and gets the best out of his teammates. It is always great to have a player of his stature, who has played so many Test matches for India, lead the Mumbai team as he knows exactly what needs to be said at what time."

Rahane isn't having the best of times with the bat in the Ranji Trophy 2023/24. However, his leadership skills have never been in doubt, with the biggest example being India's miraculous Test series win against Australia back in 2020-21.

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Shams Mulani on Mumbai's Ranji form

Three outright wins from their first three Ranji Trophy games have seen Mumbai on top of their Elite Group B with 20 points. They did come close to winning the tournament once again back in 2021/22, only to lose to Madhya Pradesh in the final.

Here's what Shams Mulani had to say about the current Mumbai team:

"We did play in the final of the 2021/22 Ranji Trophy but unfortunately we lost. But it does happen that if we don't win for 2-3 years, suddenly there are talks about a crisis in Mumbai cricket. That's the benchmark we have set."

He added:

"If you look at our batting and bowling, apart from a few players that have gone to play for India A and Indian team, most of other players are available. They bring experience with them and it helps the team in crunch situations in the Ranji Trophy."

Mumbai lost a thrilling encounter against Uttar Pradesh by just two wickets, but that didn't affect their position in the points table. They have won a staggering 41 Ranji Trophy titles over the years, with the latest coming in 2015/16.