MUMBAI: The competition for places in the India side among left-arm spinners has never been as high. All those in the fray can’t afford a single slip-up.
Apart from established seniors — Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav — there is the rising Test star Manav Suthar. Close behind are Harsh Dubey, Sai Kishore and Nishant Sindhu.
Amid this intense competition, Mumbai’s Shams Mulani faces the tough challenge of catching the selectors’ attention. In terms of numbers, he is as good as anybody — 279 wickets in 61 First Class matches. Suthar, who has started his Test cricket with a bang, has 179 in 38 FC games, Sai Kishore 245 in 60 games.
Season after season, the 29-year-old Mulani has led the Mumbai bowling attack. In the 2021-22 domestic season he had 45 wickets, in 2022-23 he claimed 46, in 2023-24, 35 wickets, in 2024-25, 44 wickets and in 2025-26, 30 wickets. Mulani also fulfils the criterion of a handy lower-order batter with 2632 runs at an average of 31.71.
With such numbers, he has genuine reason to harbour ambitions of playing international cricket while waiting in the wings to take over from Jadeja whenever the all-rounder hung up his shoes. Suthar has leapfrogged and his bright start in Test cricket makes it tougher for the other left-arm spinners to break in.
While it’s a tough road ahead, a good start to the current season fuels Mulani’s optimism. In the just concluded unofficial two-Test India A series against a strong Australia A side led by 20-Test veteran Peter Handscomb, the Mumbaikar was the player of the series, picking up a seven-wicket match haul to help India A win the first Test. A further three-wicket haul in the first innings of the second Test was backed by a crucial 29 to save the game. Prior to that, in the Duleep Trophy, he had a four-wicket haul and a fifty against North Zone.
“Yes, there is going to be competition with so much talent. I just need to focus on what I am doing right now and keep performing. Because the selection process is not in my hands. But I know that whenever my time comes, I will definitely be selected. I just want to practise and get better,” said Mulani pleased about the experience of playing the two unofficial Tests against a top side.
“I am just looking forward to the (Ranji) season. I just want to put in a very positive season this year as well. So that whenever there is a talk about any changes, my name should be up there. That’s my aim,” said Mulani.
Talking about his morale-boosting show against the strong Australia A side in Puducherry, the Mumbai all-rounder said: “It was very exciting for me because I played for India A after two years. Especially, as Australia A had a very experienced team, seven of them if I’m not wrong, had played Test cricket before. I knew that it was going to be tough. Getting the player of the tournament, I was really happy, grateful that I got this opportunity. I performed in a way that helped India win the series,” said Mulani.
In preparation of the two matches, the team had the chance to formulate their strategy with the coaches at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. Mulani benefited and gained role clarity. “Had a conversation with Sunil Joshi sir and Rishikesh Kanitakar sir about what to expect. It helped me understand their (Australia batters) game style better.”
Against the aggressive approach of the visiting batters, Mulani’s gameplan was to build pressure. “I was just trying to vary my pace, not bowl at a certain pace so that these guys get used to it. I was just trying to mix it up. And that really worked for me, especially in the first game. In the fourth innings, when the cracks opened up, I just needed to bowl in the right areas and let the wicket do the rest.”
At Puducherry, another positive was the combination Mulani had with his Mumbai teammates: pacer Tushar Deshpande and off-spinner Tanush Kotian. They have warmed up nicely for the Ranji Trophy season ahead.
“We know each other’s game pretty well. We communicate a lot between overs. And it was really pleasing to have these two beside me. Yeah, really looking forward to the season.”