Getting into the starting eleven for the Ranji Trophy final in place of injured Mohit Avasthi – Mumbai’s highest wicket-taker coming into the final – was the fairytale ending for the final chapter in Dhawal Kulkarni’s First Class career.

The script ended on an even better note as Kulkarni – the king of Ranji finals – picked the last wicket to end his career on a high.

It was the fifth final Mumbai had won where Kulkarni – the pacer who played his 96th First Class game – had featured.

Kulkarni celebrates after taking the last wicket during Mumbai Vs Vidarbha Ranji Trophy Final match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. 
| Photo Credit:
Emmanual Yogini/The Hindu

In four of his first finals, he had three five-wicket hauls and a match-turning 87 with the willow – his personal best – against Karnataka in 2009-10, a match that he describes as his “most memorable match”.

No wonder then Rahane stressed that the team requested him to prolong his retirement by a season while Rohit Sharma referred to him as “Mumbai’s warrior” in a social media post.

For Kulkarni, though, the road ahead is unclear but being the workhorse he has been, he promised to be involved with cricket.

“I have not thought about it much but cricket has given me so much that I want to give it back to cricket. Whether it be coaching or whatever I get, I want to give it back to cricket,” Kulkarni said.

“Winning a final in a tough way is what you want and that’s what we did as a team. We hung on to our nerves, put pressure, bowled really well, all the bowlers chipped in, it was you could say bowling in partnership and that’s what we did,” Kulkarni said.

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More than his 12 ODIs and two T20Is for India, Kulkarni is hailed as a domestic stalwart.

Ever since he marked his Ranji debut with a five-wicket haul in November 2008, Kulkarni has been the leader of Mumbai’s pace pack.

As much as Dhawal Kulkarni will miss wearing the lion’s crest – the signature emblem of the Mumbai Cricket Association – the lion’s crest will also miss him.
| Photo Credit:
Emmanual Yogini/The Hindu

No wonder then that Tushar Deshpande, the quickest Mumbai pacer, asked captain Ajinkya Rahane to be taken off the attack and get Kulkarni to bowl and pick the last wicket.

“I should have played more (for India) than I did but that wasn’t in my hand. I wanted to help Mumbai win by getting my A game, especially in the knockouts. Whenever I played for Mumbai, I wanted the lion to roar,” Kulkarni said.

As much as Dhawal Kulkarni will miss wearing the lion’s crest – the signature emblem of the Mumbai Cricket Association – the lion’s crest will also miss him.