Raghuvanshi’s 114 puts Mumbai in commanding position in Ranji opener

Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 114 for Mumbai against Haryana at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground in the Ranji Trophy on Monday, laying the foundation for his side’s commanding position on the opening day. The innings was his maiden First Class century.

In his third season of First Class cricket and with just five previous appearances, Raghuvanshi’s century carried significance beyond the three-figure score as he had begun to question his suitability for the longer format despite established credentials in the Indian Premier League. The Mumbai opener has struggled for continuity in the red-ball game and the hundred offered an answer to those doubts.

"Within me, there were some doubts. Unless I was able to prove it to myself, I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to do it," Raghuvanshi admitted, reflecting on his uncertainty before the innings. His earlier First Class spell included a second-match 92 against Odisha in the 2024-25 season, after which he lost his place following his third appearance.

Raghuvanshi said he turned to his coach Abhishek Nayar when he began questioning his red-ball credentials; he has been under Nayar’s guidance since moving to Mumbai from Delhi more than a decade ago to further his cricket ambitions. He recounted asking Nayar "what I was doing wrong and whether I was not disciplined enough" and quoted his coach: "The only thing he told me was, ‘at the end of the day, it’s cricket’," he recalled.

Before his Ranji recall, Raghuvanshi had started the season with consecutive double hundreds in under-23 cricket and was brought back into the Ranji side last week in Bilaspur. His century on Monday was presented in the report as a timely reminder of his potential.

The innings strengthens Raghuvanshi’s case for an extended run in Mumbai’s senior side.