Mumbai: One of the greatest turned 35 on May 7, 2026. Ranji Trophy The final has ever been played. On that day in the 1990-91 Ranji Trophy season, Haryana, led by India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain. Kapil Devwon their maiden Ranji Trophy title by beating heavyweights Mumbai by just two runs at the Wankhede Stadium. For those raised on IPL thrillers, it was a home classic that went down to the last ball on day five. The match, broadcast live on Doordarshan Sports, is still remembered for its dramatic twists and high-quality cricket, although the broadcaster later deleted the footage. In the final played from 3 to 7 May 1991, Haryana scored 507 runs in the first innings with Deepak Sharma’s 199 and Chetan Sharma’s 98. 9. Mumbai replied with 410, with Sanjay Patil scoring 85 and Lal Chand Rajput top scoring despite 74. Kapil Dev took three for 54 while Yogendra Bhandari took five wickets. Mumbai then bowled out Haryana for 242 and were reduced to 355 for victory in 67 overs. However, they were bundled out for 35 at lunch on the final day, with Rajput, Shashir Hittingadi and Sanjay Manjrikar dismissed by the Kapil-Chetan combination. What follows is one of the most memorable contributions in Indian domestic cricket. Dilip Vengsarkar And a young man Sachin Tendulkar Adding 134 runs for the fourth wicket dragged Mumbai back into the contest. Vengsarkar remained unbeaten on 139, while Tendulkar scored a brilliant 96 off just 75 balls. “Had we not taken seven maximum catches, Haryana would not have scored 522 in the first innings. Had Tendulkar stayed for five more overs, we would have gone through. I don’t remember seeing a better knock in domestic cricket,” Vengsarkar told TOI on Thursday. Despite the heartbreak, Vengsarkar still considers it a historic day in Indian domestic cricket. “This is by far the biggest day in the history of Indian domestic cricket. I can’t remember a crowd after that on the last day of the Ranji Trophy final at Wankhede. In fact, you hardly see a crowd for a Ranji Trophy these days,” he said. At the Vengsarkar stand naming ceremony at the Wankhede in 2021, Tendulkar emotionally recalled the impact the defeat had on him. “We lost the final by just two runs on the last day. Abe Karuvala was run out. Vengsarkar scored an unbeaten century. [139]. I will never forget Vengsarkar’s reaction after the match as he walked towards the dressing room. I saw tears in her eyes. Sitting in the dressing room, he covered his head with a towel for some time. Then I realized the determination and the passion, the ferocity of Mumbai cricket. He had already played more than 100 Tests, he was such a great cricketer, yet he was playing for Mumbai and had tears in his eyes after Mumbai lost. I just felt that stance [Dilip Vengsarkar Stand] What we see now in his name is a tribute to those tears,” Tendulkar commented. Kapil Dev later called it “the biggest match of my life”. Former Mumbai all-rounder Sanjay Patil, who is now the chief selector of Mumbai’s senior team, also recalled the extraordinary commitment shown by the players during this period while talking to TOI. “It feels great that it’s been exactly 35 years since the biggest match of my life. I was on the field for five whole days. I shouldn’t have played the game earlier, because I fractured my left (bowling) finger after being hit by a Manoj Prabhakar beamer in the quarter-final against Delhi, and an MCA doctor told Irvey to rest the game. However, my captain Sanjay Manjrikar asked me to play the semi-final against Hyderabad, so I forgot about my injury.“ “A few days after the semi-final was the final. Forgetting that I had fractured my finger, I bowled 50.3 overs in the first innings, then at 4.15 pm, Hutningdee was out, and suddenly, as I was trying to get some rest, I was asked to go in as night watchman. Pad Pad In my haste, I even forgot to wear my guard and faced Kapil! However, I am proud to say that even as a no. In a 10-batsman, star-studded batting line-up with Tendulkar at No. 5 and Vinod Kamble at No. 6, I top-scored with 85! In the second innings, I bowled 34 overs, taking three for 65. This was supposed to be Vengsarkar’s last season for Mumbai. The former India captain revealed that he had initially planned to retire after the 1991-92 tour of Australia, but former India opener Sudhir Naik convinced him to continue playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy knockouts. Vengsarkar responded with a monumental 284 in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh at the Wankhede Stadium before finally playing his final match for Mumbai in the semi-final defeat by Delhi – another example of the commitment and loyalty shown by players of that era to Mumbai cricket.
