Just before the start of the Ranji Trophy 2024, India batsman Ajinkya Rahane was named the skipper for Team Mumbai. But the first match against Bihar saw all-rounder Shams Mulani lead the side, as Rahane was not part of the team. While the reason for his exclusion was not clear at that point, it has now emerged that an injury kept him out of the encounter.
Rahane was quoted as saying by India Today, “I have a great passion for playing, and that’s why I came to Patna. I never back down from playing. However, during a practice session, I suffered a minor injury in my neck. That’s why I am not playing this match. But I will definitely play in the upcoming Ranji matches.”
Rahane went on to commend the strong crowd that had come to support the teams. “It’s not like they were only supporting Bihar,” said Rahane. “They are supporting the Mumbai team along with the Bihar team,”
Mumbai Wins Opening Encounter
Meanwhile, Mumbai did not really miss the presence of Rahane in the first match, as they won by an innings and 51 runs, despite scoring only 251 in the first innings. Mohit Avasthi and Shivam Dube starred for them with the ball, to get them first points of the 2024 season.
