Tushar Deshpande marked his 50th first-class appearance with a significant achievement on Monday, becoming the sixth Mumbai bowler to take a hat-trick in the Ranji Trophy. The 31-year-old pacer, whose efforts helped leave Chandigarh reeling at the Wankhede Stadium, joins a list of Mumbai bowlers including Jehangir Khot, Umesh Kulkarni, Abdul Ismail, Royston Dias, and Shardul Thakur to reach this milestone. Deshpande’s performance, which included six wickets for 17 runs, has placed Mumbai in a dominant position with a 351-run lead and a prospect of a massive victory.
Reflecting on the hat-trick delivery that dismissed Dipender Kush, Deshpande noted the importance of fundamental discipline. He recalled advice from various coaches, including Dwayne Bravo, Shane Bond, and Eric Simmons, who all emphasized maintaining a precise line. “Bowl your best ball on top of off stump whenever in doubt,” Deshpande stated. The delivery forced an edge from the batter, which was successfully gathered by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the slips. Deshpande, who also contributed a useful 44 runs batting at number nine, described the day as one of his best, noting that the greenish strip offered consistent assistance for his bowling. Though, Deshpande had the advice of a few experts to bank on — Dwayne Bravo at Chennai Super Kings and Shane Bond at Rajasthan Royals, more than experience. 5 could manage was an edge to the slips, leaving the Mumbai players in instant elation. And he went on to claim two more — one in Chandigarh’s first innings to complete a five-wicket haul and another in the first over of the second innings, wreaking havoc in the opposition camp, it was his fourth wicket of the day. 9, have left the visitors on the ropes. With the greenish strip assisting the bowlers, Deshpande could be unstoppable on Day 3, as he was in his eight overs on Day 2.
Despite his recent impact—including a series-saving 52 as a nightwatchman for India A against Australia A—Deshpande remains focused on his own consistency rather than external validation. After missing out on selection for the India A tour of New Zealand, he processed the disappointment briefly before refocusing his mindset. “There is always motivation to play Test cricket for India, no matter whether I am selected for the A-team or not. I thought about it for a day, but I have always said that I want to chase performance, not selection,” he explained. He had a similarly impactful outing for India A against Australia A in Puducherry recently.
His career development has been heavily influenced by his father, Uday, a former A-Division player in Mumbai cricket. To date, Deshpande has accumulated 126 wickets in 42 matches at an average of approximately 26, alongside 666 runs featuring one century and one half-century. His proficiency has been honed over years of experience, including previous hat-tricks in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Mizoram, an MCA Under-16 tournament, and various school-level games for KC Gandhi School in Kalyan.
Looking toward the conclusion of the match, Deshpande urged his team to maintain their intensity. While Mumbai has enforced the follow-on, he cautioned against complacency, citing past instances where the team faltered against perceived weaker opposition. “Looking at the scorecard, you always feel that the opposition wasn’t good enough. But, to be honest, you cannot take any opponent lightly in today’s cricket. As Mumbai cricketers, our job is to collect as many points as possible,” he emphasized, aiming to finish the job quickly on the third day.
