"It's not enough to just be good, I have to be the best" - Shams Mulani on his breakout season for Mumbai
Shams Mulani's name has been making the rounds in domestic cricket over the past few years due to his left-arm spin. However, the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season was just the kind of big break that the 25-year-old needed to get into the limelight.
Mumbai fell short of the Ranji Trophy title, losing to Madhya Pradesh in the final, but Mulani played his part. While many hailed Sarfaraz Khan for their run to the final, the spinner was undoubtedly one of the unsung heroes. He ended up as the overall highest-wicket taker with 45 wickets in six matches.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Mulani explained how COVID-19 ruined his chances of featuring in IPL 2022. But he didn't lose hope and delivered a season to remember, not just for him, but also for the selectors.
Speaking on the mindset change, he said:
"At the start of the season, my mindset had changed because many used to tell me that I was good enough to play at a higher level but I wasn't getting chances. So I realised that it's not enough to just be 'good', I have to be the 'best'."
He added:
"I missed a great opportunity to play in the IPL as I had COVID due to which I couldn't perform in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So I thought let's focus fully on the Ranji Trophy and gave a lot of thought to how will I pick wickets.
"More than 40 percent of my 45 wickets this season have come from that thought process. So this wicket-taking intent even on flat wickets helped me a lot."
"I rate myself highly as an all-rounder" - Shams Mulani
Not just with the ball, Mulani was also impressive with the bat, scoring 321 runs in six games. He has 11 half-centuries in 16 first-class games and averages an impressive 41.76.
Mulani opened up on why he believes in his abilities as a genuine all-rounder and not just a bowler who can also contribute a bit with the bat. On this, he stated:
"I rate myself highly as an all-rounder. I started my cricket as a batter and whenever I have played for Mumbai at any level, I have shown great belief in my batting. Obviously when I began playing for Mumbai, the batting line-up was packed with India players and top domestic stars."
He added:
"However in the last Ranji Season, I was the second-highest run-scorer after Sarfaraz Khan. I have batted at every number from No.3 to No.9 in the Ranji Trophy. So I believe I am not just a bowler who can bat a bit."
Shams Mulani on Rohit Sharma
Like any young Mumbai lad, even Shams Mulani has been a huge admirer of Rohit Sharma. He shared the Mumbai dressing room with the Indian captain and has also been a net bowler for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the past.
Speaking about his ambition to represent India under the leadership of the Mumbai stalwart, Mulani asserted:
"Rohit Sharma has been one of my favorite batters of all time. I have been lucky to play with him and spend time and get to learn from him (during being net bowler with MI). So obviously I would be happy to play under a Mumbai captain.
"So if I make my India debut under Rohit Sharma, it would be great since he knows me very well and we do share a good bond. So it is just about trusting the process and waiting for the opportunity."
A number of youngsters have spoken about how friendly Rohit has been to them whenever they have shared a dressing room. Despite just being a net bowler, the spinner spoke about what he learned from the captain of the five-time IPL champions.
He added:
"He doesn't make you feel that he is a huge star because he is so humble. The best thing about him to learn is how he keeps composure under pressure and that is something I can relate to."
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