For much of Thursday, Railways looked set to deny Mumbai its fourth consecutive outright win. But Sarfaraz Khan had other ideas.
A stunning catch from the seasoned campaigner turned the game around, helping the ‘visiting’ side secure a 106-run win at the Brabourne Stadium despite centuries from Eshaan Goyal and Zubair Ali.
After Divyaansh Saxena’s maiden unbeaten 100 (136b, 8×4, 1×6) helped Mumbai set a target of 372, Railways was reduced to 83 for five. But Goyal and Ali dug in, adding 167 runs for the sixth wicket to take the contest into the final session.
Both capitalised on early reprieves and looked comfortable on a surface offering little assistance to the bowlers. With Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani (four for 69) having completed their opening spells, Mumbai turned to Musheer Khan.
The move paid off as the left-arm spinner claimed three wickets.
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Just when Goyal (103, 201b, 11×4, 1×6) and Ali (115, 117b, 14×4, 5×6) threatened to take the game away, Musheer produced the breakthrough. Goyal attempted a sweep, but Sarfaraz, stationed at first slip, raced towards leg slip and completed a stunning diving catch. He then sprinted towards the dugout in celebration. The dive appeared to leave him in some discomfort, but Sarfaraz soon returned, visibly charged up.
With even captain Siddhesh Lad admitting that the thought of shaking hands had crossed his mind, a draw had seemed likely. But Musheer and Mulani combined to take Railways’ last five wickets for just 15 runs in under 12 overs.
The morning, meanwhile, belonged to Saxena. After reaching his hundred, the opener raised his bat, let out a roar and dropped to one knee, lifting his jersey to reveal his chiselled six-pack abs.
It was an exuberant celebration of a hard-earned milestone that laid the foundation for another Mumbai victory before the focus shifted to white-ball cricket.
Published on Nov 05, 2026
