Ranji Trophy | Herwadkar bides his time and grabs his opportunity in Mumbai colours

When Akhil Herwadkar moved to Chhattisgarh in 2022, after a decade-long association with Mumbai, the opening batter did not know whether he would be able to make a comeback again.

But when he decided to return to his roots after a season with Chhattisgarh, Mumbai welcomed him back, even though he had to wait for more than a year to break into the playing XI.

Herwadkar did not lose hope and waited for the right moment. And on Sunday, as he got picked in the team as a replacement for Ajinkya Rahane, Herwadkar grabbed the opportunity with both hands and came up with a gritty 86 in the Ranji Trophy clash against Pondicherry.

“I was in the team last year, and this year too, I didn’t get a chance to play in the first four games. But I was confident that whenever I got a chance, I would do it. My goal was to perform well in the Ranji Trophy and move forward,” Herwadkar said.

“Everyone knows that it is very difficult to come back to Mumbai once you leave the team, because the competition is so high. The selectors and the coach backed me. They selected me from my previous performances in the club and company games, and I am fortunate,” he added.

While he would have wanted to score a century, Herwadkar fell 14 runs short of his milestone. “I was a little disappointed. If I had been 100 not out, I would have put the team in a better situation,” he said.