"Well done young man!" - Shams Mulani opens up on how Ravi Shastri's praise gave him confidence
It was a momentous occasion for Mumbai's Shams Mulani as the left-arm spinner was felicitated with a couple of awards at the BCCI Naman Awards 2024. Mulani had a stellar 2021/22 Ranji Trophy season where Mumbai went all the way to the final.
In six matches, Mulani scored 321 runs at an average of 49.30 with five half-centuries. He was also the highest-wicket taker in the tournament with as many as 45 scalps at an average of 16.75.
Such an incredible performance helped him win the Lala Amarnath Award for the best all-rounder of Ranji Trophy 2021/22 and also the Madhavrao Scindia award for being the highest wicket-taker that season.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Shams Mulani explained how emotional a moment it was for him to be felicitated in front of his family and stalwarts of Indian cricket. He said:
"It was a good thing for me and especially for my family because they have worked hard a lot. Me getting this award made them really proud and that makes me happy. My parents were happy that the BCCI recognised my performances and even the Indian team was in attendance."
Mulani also opened up on a short conversation he had with former Mumbai and Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri and how that was a confidence booster for him. He added:
"It is pretty nice to get recognised in front of legends of the game. Ravi Shastri sir and Sunil Gavaskar sir were also there. Ravi sir was sitting right in front of me when I came back after receiving the award. He congratulated me and said, 'Well done young man! Keep going.' He has played from Mumbai too and he felt good about me. It was pretty nice to get recognised by someone who is a legend of Indian cricket. I felt pretty special getting that thumbs up from him."
Shams Mulani feels that the awards are just a part of the process for him and that he wants to keep focusing on delivering match-winning performances for his team.
Shams Mulani on potential India call-up
The ultimate dream for any player who plays domestic cricket is to wear the India cap and Shams Mulani is naturally driven by the same motivation. Spin-bowling all-rounders are invaluable, especially in Indian conditions, given the balance that they bring to the team.
However, Mulani isn't thinking too much about the future as he wants to ensure his focus remains on producing consistent performances. He stated:
"I never thought about wanting to be fast-tracked because I know it is a process and performing consistently is in my hands. Obviously, it will feel good if I get an opportunity (India call-up), but the main goal every day is to get better than the previous day. I want to take my game to that level so that in case I get a call-up anywhere, I will be ready for it and will help win games for whichever teams I represent."
Shams Mulani's performances in domestic cricket have certainly been recognized as he is a part of the India A side that will play the third unofficial Test against the England Lions in Ahmedabad beginning on February 1.