For decades, an unwritten rule governed Indian domestic cricket: It’s no news if Mumbai wins, but it’s a national headline if Mumbai loses. This wasn’t arrogance, but a testament to a culture of relentless excellence. Today, that aura of invincibility feels like a relic. As standards slip, we must ask: Where did we lose our way?

In the golden era from the 1960s through 2015, selection was governed by a brutal, but effective binary. When a young cricketer’s name came across the table, the giants of Mumbai cricket asked only two questions: Can this boy play for India? If not, can he win the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai?