Pujara, Iyer, Mhatre Shine in Ranji Trophy

Cheteshwar Pujara added another milestone to his cricket career by scoring his 25th Ranji Trophy century for Saurashtra, surpassing Brian Lara's first-class hundreds tally, and also crossing 21,000 first-class runs. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer made a triumphant return to form with a 142-run knock for Mumbai against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy, despite having been left out of BCCI's Central Contracts list earlier this year due to alleged fitness issues. Teenager Ayush Mhatre impressed with a maiden first-class century, helping Mumbai to a dominant position over Maharashtra, reminiscent of his mentor Prithvi Shaw's journey. Mumbai's strong bowling performance, led by Shams Mulani's 3/7, dismissed Maharashtra for 126, setting the stage for Mhatre's and Iyer's batting heroics. Maharashtra's captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had a disappointing start, contributing to the team's early collapse. Mhatre's daily 46 km train journey to practice demonstrates his dedication, as he continues to shine as a promising cricket talent.