Tamil Nadu and Mumbai clashed with an aim to clinch the final spot in the Ranji Trophy summit clash. But it was Mumbai who prevailed and looked dominant throughout the match as TN faltered. In what turned out to be a surprising call which prompted reactions including those from R Ashwin and Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat, Sai Kishore put his side in to bat first on a seaming wicket which had Tamil Nadu reeling at 42/5 inside the first session.

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Tamil Nadu coach pinpoints Skipper R Sai Kishore's decision as the sole reason for the team's loss 

Tamil Nadu could never recover as they were shot out for paltry totals of 146 and 162 in the two innings as Mumbai stormed into the final for the 48th time in the Ranji Trophy. Skipper R Sai Kishore’s inner voice has played a big role in bringing Tamil Nadu this far but his decision to bat on a seaming wicket against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semifinal was wrong, said Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni on Monday.

"The moment I saw the wicket I exactly knew what we were going to get," Kulkarni told the media after the match.

"When I saw that they had played on a different pitch in the quarterfinal and what wicket they gave, (that) moment I realised that this is a seaming-friendly wicket and it was going to be a very tough match, we would have to play really well to win this game.

"I always speak straightforward — we lost the match at 9’o clock on Day One. Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct.

"Ultimately he is the boss. I can give my feedback and inputs (as to) what kind of wickets and Mumbai’s mindset also. (From) 106/7, I knew before the match that this (Mumbai’s fightback) may happen.” Kulkarni said 

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Mumbai defeated Tamil Nadu in the second Ranji Trophy 2024 semifinal by an innings and 70 runs. On the first day of play, Tamil Nadu was bowled out for 146 while batting first. They put a lot of effort with the ball, but Mumbai rallied to post 378 to establish an overwhelming advantage. In their second innings, Tamil Nadu was then knocked out for 162 runs.

(With PTI Inputs)