Akash Anand scores 117 not out as Mumbai tighten Ranji Trophy grip

Akash Anand completed a first century of the season, remaining unbeaten on 117, as Mumbai tightened its grip on Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy in Bilaspur on October 20, 2026.

Anand had been unbeaten on 58 at the close on Monday and converted that start into 117 n.o., completing what the report described as his first hundred of the season. Mumbai’s task during the innings was to sustain momentum even as wickets fell.

“Being not out was job half done yesterday, and I wanted to make it count because once you get set on these wickets, you have to make it big. So glad it happened today,” Akash told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Tushar Deshpande provided a late, counterattacking cameo that helped keep the innings moving, finishing 26 off 20 balls (26, 20b, 5x4). “We just wanted to make sure that the momentum didn’t suddenly die down. When you get into a good flow at a certain point, you want to continue it. Luckily, we found that flow early and just carried it forward, despite losing wickets,” Akash said. “Even after losing two wickets, I think Tushar came in and hit some big shots all around the ground. That automatically keeps the momentum going. Wickets fell, but the momentum didn’t go away.”

Sarfaraz Khan had earlier laid the foundation for Mumbai with a commanding 154. “Sarfaraz has a lot of experience. Even if he has five bad innings, we have that belief that he is going to come hard,” captain Siddhesh Lad said. “Whenever he gets set, he scores big. That is his best quality, and he is showing once again what he is capable of”'.

The report was published on October 20, 2026 at 07:19 pm IST and updated on October 20, 2026 at 07:20 pm IST, with location recorded as Bilaspur.