Mumbai: Former seamer Atul Ranade, who was the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy champions’ Vidarbha’s assistant coach, joined the Mumbai Cricket Association as the Mumbai senior team’s assistant coach on Monday. During Ranade’s two-year stint with Vidarbha, the Nagpur-based side reached the Ranji Trophy finals on both occasions. Ranade was also the Mumbai fielding coach in the 2022-23 season, when they clinched their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.During their triumphant Ranji Trophy campaign last season, when they beat Kerala in the summit clash, Vidarbha won all their 10 matches in succession-a rare feat. In the semifinals at home at the Jamtha in Nagpur, they downed last season’s Ranji champions Mumbai by 80 runs, thus avenging their 169-run defeat in the Ranji Trophy final in the previous season.“After two years with Vidarbha, I am super happy to be back with my ‘Janmabhoomi’ (birth land) -The Mumbai Ranji team. It’s always a matter of pride to be a part of the Mumbai dressing room,” Ranade told Mumbai Mirror.The MCA had on July 2 announced that it would retain Omkar Salvi as the Mumbai senior team’s head coach, with Sanjay Patil too staying on as chief selector. The 52-year-old Ranade, who played six first-class matches for Mumbai and Goa, is extremely attached to Mumbai cricket. “Being a part of the Mumbai team as a player in the momentous year of 1996/97 when we bagged all the three BCCI championships,-the Wills, Ranji and Irani Cup and later, upon me being the fielding coach, we won the Syed Mushtaq Ali as well for the first time in 2022/23, which is why being associated with Mumbai has always been nostalgic for me as it brings back a lot of fond memories,” he said.“I’ve spent three seasons with Mumbai as the fielding coach, and two with Vidarbha as the assistant coach. In both my seasons with Vidarbha, we reached the Ranji finals and won the Ranji Trophy this season. So. I’ve got the experience,” Raade asserted. Decoding the reason for Vidarbha’s Ranji triumph last season, Ranade said, “The basic importance of having everyone aligned towards one GOAL was important this season and the same was discussed with the squad. The whole squad worked hard together in all the three departments in a good cricketing atmosphere. Also, after losing the finals last year there was fire in the belly to do well this year. The biggest satisfaction point this season was winning the Ranji Trophy convincingly by staying undefeated in all ten games.An absolute rare phenomenon.“
