Watch as Shardul Thakur’s hat-trick sends Meghalaya crashing to 2/6 in their Ranji clash against Mumbai!

The final rounds of the Ranji Trophy began with Mumbai facing Meghalaya in their last group match. Both teams were struggling, having lost several recent matches. Mumbai was sitting third in their group, while Meghalaya was at the bottom. This match was crucial for Mumbai to gain momentum ahead of the knockouts, while it presented another opportunity for Meghalaya to secure a win after losing every match so far.

The anticipation for this match was lower than expected, especially since Mumbai had released key players like Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer. However, they returned with a prominent lineup featuring some changes, while Meghalaya maintained their squad.

Shardul Thakur’s Double Hat-trick

Mumbai chose to bowl first against Meghalaya, a decision that proved to be smart as they witnessed an early collapse from the opposition. Meghalaya lost six wickets for just two runs. Mumbai's bowlers, Shardul Thakur, and Mohit Avasthi, took advantage of the conditions, with Thakur claiming a Double Hat-trick (4 wickets in 4 balls) and Avasthi adding two with the new ball. The Meghalaya batters struggled to cope with the swing and seam movement, leading to their disastrous start.

This collapse was critical, as Mumbai capitalized on it and maintained the momentum. Five batters in the top six for Meghalaya were dismissed for a duck, leaving them with a dismal score of 2 for 6. 

Following this stunning collapse, Pringsang Sangma and Akash Choudhary managed to pull Meghalaya from a dire situation to a slightly less dire one. Their efforts helped the team cross into double digits, bringing the score to 29 for 6. It would have been an embarrassing spectacle had Meghalaya continued to lose wickets, potentially cementing their place as one of the worst teams in history.

However, the lower-order batsmen displayed some resilience, momentarily saving the day. As it stood, Mumbai was firmly in control of the match, and a few more wickets would likely see them batting by the end of Day 1.

For more Ranji Match Updates 

Mumbai vs Meghalaya: Live Scorecard

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