When Akhil Herwadkar last played a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai in November 2018, the world seemed a different place. The current Mumbai bowling coach, Dhawal Kulkarni, was the captain. Suryakumar Yadav was batting at number four, and Piyush Chawla was playing for the opposing side, Gujarat.

Seven years after his last first-class match for the domestic powerhouses, where he made 0 and 10, he returned to the Mumbai squad with a worthy comeback to take the hosts to 317/3 against Puducherry in the Group D Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

Drafted into the playing XI in place of Ajinkya Rahane , who was ruled out due to a stiff back, the southpaw made a slow start on a pitch devoid of demons. His first 28 balls yielded a mere three runs, even as Musheer Khan showed c

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