Published: February 2, 2026 at 3:38 pm
Mumbai, as expected, cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Hyderabad in their Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy match at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana in Kandivali, Mumbai, on Monday.
The result was a foregone conclusion after Hyderabad were shot out for 166 in their second innings. It was only a matter of time as Mumbai are not known to look a gift horse in its mouth.
A series of bad decisions by the administrators and selectors has put paid to the hopes of the Hyderabad Under-23 team. After the second round of matches, Hyderabad were jostling with four other teams for a place in the knock-outs but the results of the last two games have definitely dashed their hopes.
The officials had announced the team on the eve (a day before the match was to start) of the Mumbai game. The players set off to Mumbai in the afternoon and, thereby, were prevented from having a decent practice session ahead of the match.
How can a team prepare itself for a big game in such a scenario? How can the coaches prepare a strategy when they are not sure of the players till the 11th hour? Who will be held accountable for the fiasco? Actually, are the administrators interested in accountability?
Who is responsible for the fiasco?
Sources said the Junior Selection Committee could not announce the squad for the Mumbai match as they were not sure about the players’ availability for the game as the Senior Selection Committee had not announced the Ranji Trophy squad. Is this a lack of coordination between the selection committees or just an excuse to escape accountability?
The Senior Selection Committee had pulled out three players, P Aman Rao, Nitin Sai Yadav and Pranav Varma, from the Under-23 team ahead of their home game against Vidarbha. Hyderabad conceded the first innings lead to Vidarbha but if the three players were not taken out of the squad maybe Hyderabad would have done better.
Nitin and Pranav were back in the squad against Mumbai and Nitin took four wickets in the first innings to help Hyderabad get a four-run first innings lead. However, the batters let him down.
What did the senior selection committee achieve by including the three players in the Ranji squad? P Aman Rao and Nitin Sai Yadav played against Mumbai, which Hyderabad lost comfortably, and it was not a surprise. Aman played against Chhattisgarh too and got a half-century. However, as a strategy was it good, knowing fully well that Hyderabad stood no chance of qualifying for the Ranji Trophy knock outs. Should the selectors have risked the fortunes of the Under-23 team by weakening it?
Accountability and transparency have been thrown out of the HCA long ago. But one expected better things as the administration is under the control of the High Court appointed one-man committee. However, the hopes are being dashed one piece at a time.
Coming back to the game, needing 171 for victory, Mumbai batters Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ayush Jethwa strung a 111-run partnership for the second wicket to set up the victory. The duo consumed 188 balls and, in the process, nullified any hopes that the Hyderabad bowlers entertained. The visitors had thought of giving their rivals a run for their money after taking the first wicket of Pranav Kapadia (2), who was trapped leg before by Dinesh Rathod.
But Angkrish and Ayush batted Hyderabad out of the game. Agnkrish, however, could not stay till the victory was achieved. He was caught by skipper Mayank Gupta off pacer Mohd Abdul Adnan after making 50. It came off 116 balls and contained 16 fours and a six.
Ayush and Manan Bhatt then took their side home with a 57-run partnership for the unbroken third wicket. Ayush remained not out on 73 which came off 146 balls and contained eight fours and two sixes. Manan was batting on 42 off 52 balls with five fours and a six when victory was achieved.
Hyderabad had to be content with seven points from the game to take their tally to 42.
Brief scores: Hyderabad 334 and 166 lost to Mumbai 330 and 173 for two in 53.5 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 50, Ayush Jethwa 73 not out, Manan Bhatt 42 not out; MA Adnan 1/11, Dinesh Rathod 1/34).
