Shubham Ranjane: The Mumbai boy living his cricket dream in the US

NEW DELHI: When cricketer Shubham Ranjane left the bustling ‘city of dreams’ Mumbai a few years ago, he didn’t just leave behind his home and parents — he left behind a rich family legacy.

Shubham is the third cricketer from the third generation of the Ranjane family. His grandfather, Vasant Ranjane, a former India cricketer who featured in seven Test matches between 1958 and 1964, and his father, Subash Ranjane, a former first-class cricketer who also represented India A, were the first two.Now, Shubham is proudly carrying that legacy forward.

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Breaking into the Mumbai side is never easy. Shubham had always wanted to be a fast bowler like his grandfather, who famously took the wickets of legends such as Garfield Sobers, Frank Worrell, Conrad Hunte and Rohan Kanhai.

As a young Mumbai lad, he dreamt of steaming in with the red ball and rattling stumps — but the journey wasn’t easy.He eventually made his mark in the Mumbai team, performed well, and shared dressing rooms with some of the giants of Mumbai cricket. But destiny had other plans.Today, at 31, he is in the United States, still chasing and fulfilling his cricketing dreams.

Every morning from his flat in California, Shubham enjoys his coffee while gazing at two framed photographs — one of his grandfather and one of his father — before packing his kit bag and heading to practice.

Currently, he plays in Major League Cricket (MLC), and on the back of his stellar performances there, he has also earned a contract with Joburg Super Kings in SA20.He credits it all to the blessings of his grandfather, his father, and, of course, the trademark ‘Khadoos’ brand of Mumbai cricket that continues to drive his dreams forward."I'm the third generation of my family who's playing cricket. My grandfather played Test cricket for India.

My father played for India A, the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. That’s how I grew up — watching them, going with them for practice sessions, watching them play. I’ve never seen my grandfather play, but I hear a lot of things about him — his attitude, his commitment, his dedication.

I saw my father playing first-class games. He’s my inspiration," Shubham told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview."I got a call from Major League Cricket (MLC). Many of my friends are playing in the US. They just called me and said that there’s an opportunity to play in bigger leagues. So, MLC was going to be introduced in 2023, so I came here in 2022. I wanted to play franchise cricket. When I heard about this, I just made up my mind and wanted to play in this league. There was a Minor League Cricket (MiLC) happening in the USA, and that was a pathway to the Major League.

I came here in 2022. The minor league was halfway done, and our team was in a must-win position. I got my first game, and from there my journey started smoothly. In the finals of the minor league, I won the Man of the Match award," he said."I’m very excited. It’s amazing being in the Chennai Super Kings franchise family — Texas Super Kings, and now Johannesburg Super Kings (JSK). Playing alongside Faf du Plessis and others has helped me grow as a player.

It’s a great achievement and fun to make a mark," he said.'KHADOOS' BRAND OF CRICKETBreaking into the Mumbai cricket team, especially the Ranji Trophy side, is never easy. You need to put in the hard yards and be consistently good to earn your place. Right-arm fast bowler Shubham Ranjane, who can also bat, finally made his debut in 2016 under the captaincy of Aditya Tare. Shubham shared the dressing room with Mumbai stars like Shreyas Iyer, Dhawal Kulkarni, Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Nayar, and Shardul Thakur.The opposition was Gujarat cricket team, led by Parthiv Patel, and featuring the likes of Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah.Shreyas Iyer went on to score 194 in the match, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed six wickets — including Shubham’s — in the drawn match at Hubballi.Like every young cricketer, it was a huge moment for debutant Shubham. His heartbeat was racing as he tried to keep his nerves in check. He went on to play 15 first-class matches, scoring 595 runs at an average of 31.31 and picking up 12 wickets, including a five-wicket haul.

That same trademark Mumbai ‘Khadoos’ brand of cricket is now helping Shubham take his game to the next level."It was prestigious to debut for Mumbai against Gujarat. Bumrah and Axar Patel were playing. Chandrakant Pandit was our coach. I was nervous but also proud to be playing alongside big names like Dhawal Kulkarni, Surya, Shardul, Rahane, and Shreyas. I was in the team but not getting top-order opportunities because seniors were already there.

I wanted a fair chance to showcase my talent as an all-rounder, so I moved. I’m grateful to Mumbai for everything I learned," Shubham said."Coming from Mumbai taught me hard cricket. Now, in the US, I’m achieving things step by step. Being picked in SA20 is special. My next goal is the IPL and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Mumbai grind gave me confidence to tackle any situation. Playing 10 years in Mumbai with that Khadoos attitude and that brand of cricket helps a lot.

People here in the US say I carry that attitude (laughs) — not giving up, handling pressure, and being tough on the field.

That’s what defines a Khadoos cricketer," Shubham said."It’s always been great playing with them. It’s all about learning. Mumbai cricket is very tough and competitive. Watching Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas, and Shardul play — it teaches you body language, attitude, and discipline. It’s always been a pleasure, and it made me feel like I wanted to represent the country too.

Yes, I keep talking to them. I really miss playing competitive cricket. I played 10 years of cricket in Mumbai.

It was absolute fun and full of hardship, but very rewarding," he said.THE BOND WITH SKY“Bindaas rehne ka. Chill maar. Nervous nahi hone ka” — the words from Suryakumar Yadav, his then Mumbai cricket team teammate, still echo in Shubham’s mind when he recalls making his debut.

"Suryakumar Yadav came to me and said — ‘Don’t be nervous, play like you play for your club.

Be natural, express yourself.’ That gave me a lot of confidence," Shubham recalled."Surya and I share a very good bond. We are still very good friends. He has supported me a lot. We were roommates during games like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. We never spoke much cricket, just enjoyed moments. He still calls me ‘Dada’. He has always supported and believed in me, especially when I moved to the US," Shubham said.