Mumbai batter Musheer Khan sustained injuries on neck and limbs after his SUV car met with an accident while travelling from Azamgarh to Lucknow on Friday night. The 19-year-old is currently getting treatment at Medanta Hospital in Lucknow and is likely to miss the remainder of the season for Mumbai.

Musheer, brother of India batter Sarfaraz Khan, was accompanied by his father-cum coach Naushan Khan in the car and the latter also sustained minor injuries in the accident. A source in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) said that the car lost control on a high speed and turned a couple of times on the road.

The doctors are waiting for scan reports to confirm whether he has suffered a fracture in his neck region and the extent of it.

“Musheer is likely out for the season. He has sustained injuries to his neck and limbs as the Fortuner he was travelling flipped a couple of times in the highspeed accident that happened on the way to Lucknow from Azamgarh and has to take three months rest after the initial hospitalisation. He will undergo rehabilitation after that, which means he is likely to be available only after six to seven months. Musheer is currently undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital in Lucknow,” the MCA source told IANS.

Musheer, who was training at Azamgarh with his father, was set to join his teammates in Lucknow for the Irani Cup match against the Rest of India at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium from October 1.

The MCA officials are also unhappy with Musheer’s decision to train in Azamgarh after the conclusion of the Duleep Trophy matches and not join his home team in Mumbai.

Promising young talent

Musheer last played in the Duleep Trophy for India B, making his tournament debut against India A in Bengaluru earlier this month. He smashed 181 on his debut but failed to perform similar feats in the remainder of the tournament.

Musheer, one of India’s breakout stars from the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, made a strong return to the Ranji Trophy in February. In his first game for Mumbai after nearly two years, he notched up his maiden First-Class double century and later excelled in the Ranji final against Vidarbha with a second-innings century, helping Mumbai secure a record-extending 42nd Ranji title.

Musheer has amassed 716 runs in nine First-Class matches, averaging over 50, with three centuries and a half-century to his name.

Meanwhile, MCA has not named any replacement for the batter yet. MCA is expecting Sarfaraz Khan, who is still in Kanpur with the Indian team but not in playing XI for the second Test against Bangladesh, to join the squad.

Mumbai: With the monsoon withdrawing, the city has been witnessing heavy rainfall this week. Mumbai received heavy downpours on Wednesday and Thursday, and an orange alert was issued for Friday too. Following consistent rainfall and thunderstorms this week, on Friday the city witnessed 25 tree branches collapse injuring three people. 11 short circuits and 11 wall collapses were also officially reported.

As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) report of Saturday 8 am, in the last 24 hours, eastern suburbs received 47.07 mm rainfall, western suburbs received 44.67 mm rainfall and city received 43.68 mm of rainfall. In Mumbai, the total average rainfall this monsoon has already surpassed the average annual rainfall.

As of Friday September 27, Colaba observatory recorded 2633.6 mm of rainfall and Santacruz observatory recorded 3068 mm rainfall.

Amid heavy rains, on Friday evening at 6.01 pm Mumbai’s disaster management cell received call of three people getting injured after a tree collapsed on a taxi. The mishap took place near Vitthal Mandir in Rani Laxmi Chowk, the BMC report said. The three injured men were taken to Sion Hospital, of which one is hospitalised for further treatment and two others were discharged after required medical attention.

The city also saw 11 short circuits officially reported and 8 wall collapse incidents on Friday. No injuries were reported.

Mumbai: Nearly two decades ago, Mumbaikars endured a nightmare that still lingers in their memories. Despite investing several crores of rupees, the city remains plagued by persistent waterlogging and severe traffic disruptions.

Last Wednesday, this ongoing issue came to a head, prompting backlash from activists, citizens’ associations, and former corporators who condemned the civic body for its repeated failures.

This Friday was no exception, as heavy rainfall continued from Thursday night, leading to widespread waterlogging and significant traffic disruptions across major routes. Multiple vehicle breakdowns exacerbated the traffic jams, particularly in the central and western suburbs.

As per data received from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) the city has received more than its monthly average rainfall in just five days of rainfall that began on September 23. During this period, the city recorded 393 mm of rain from September 23 to 27, exceeding the monthly average of 359.6 mm.

This significant rainfall also pushed the total seasonal precipitation past 3,000 mm, with the Santacruz observatory recording 3,016 mm as of the morning of September 27.

On Friday, One of the major disruptions occurred at the Andheri subway, which was closed after it became heavily waterlogged. This forced traffic authorities to divert vehicles to the Gokhale Bridge. Several vehicles broke down in the area, exacerbating the already dire traffic situation.

The day began with a major traffic jam at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) connector caused by a BEST bus breakdown, worsening congestion amid peak-hour traffic and the closure of the Sion Road Over Bridge (ROB).

As rainfall intensified in the western suburbs, waterlogging in areas like Andheri led to the subway’s closure. The Eastern Freeway experienced water accumulation and low visibility, significantly slowing traffic and impacting movements in the eastern suburbs and South Mumbai, including P. D’Mello Road.

Mumbai Traffic Police reported additional disruptions across the city, including delays at Aarey Bridge due to a tempo breakdown, Marine Plaza in South Mumbai from a bus breakdown, and Airoli Bridge from a car breakdown.

Other blockages were reported at Sion Hospital Road from a fallen tree, Dindoshi on Altamount Road due to a vehicle breakdown, and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, where another vehicle broke down. 

Meanwhile, recent rainfall has led to the identification of several new flooding hotspots, including Mankhurd, Govandi, Godrej Jetty in Vikhroli East, Bhandup and Powai.

Civic data reveals that Mankhurd recorded an astonishing 276.20 mm of rain between 6 pm and 10 pm on Wednesday, while Bhandup received 198.39 mm. The average rainfall in the eastern suburbs during this period was 167.48 mm.

Overflowing drains also caused waterlogging on the railway tracks severely affecting Central and Harbour Railway services. Reflecting on the past, activists noted that on July 26, 2005, the city was overwhelmed by 944 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours.

Today, even a mere 200 mm can result in flooding. The rampant concretisation has destroyed natural drainage systems, leaving no place for rainwater to go. Additionally, construction debris and garbage dumped in nullahs continue to choke stormwater drains, worsening the situation, activists expressed.

The civic body claimed that around 300 dewatering pumps were activated on Wednesday. However, sources noted that many of these pumps were unable to handle the water pressure and failed to recede rainwater quickly.

Former Opposition leader Ravi Raja expressed his frustration, stating, “Shame on the BMC for their failure to properly cover nullahs or fix manholes. They have squandered hundreds of crores yet still fail to fulfill their responsibilities. The annual spending on desilting work is merely eyewash—public money goes down the drain.”

The Andheri subway has been shut down multiple times this monsoon. Dhaval Shah, founder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association, added, “The narrowing of the nullah has obstructed water flow. The BMC doesn’t need to implement fancy solutions; they simply need to remove encroachments near Mogra nullah.”

Activist Godfrey Pimenta expressed concern, stating, “Despite substantial taxpayer investments in infrastructure, the situation is deteriorating. We’re witnessing the alarming collapse of bridges, flooding in subways, crumbling buildings, and frequent fire incidents. It’s clear that the BMC has failed to fulfill its mandate for effective civic management.”

Environmental activist Zoru Bhathena added, “In 2005, the city experienced exceptional rainfall of 944 mm, but now even 200 mm leads to waterlogging in several areas. It’s shameful that the situation hasn’t improved. Rainwater should be absorbed by the ground, with excess flowing into the drains. The BMC spends crores annually on drains and concrete, but where will the water go?”.

Meanwhile, a senior civic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted, “The IMD issued a red alert at 5:40 PM on Wednesday, but heavy rain had already started, and commuters were heading home. When we pump out water, it should go into the stormwater drains; however, the nallahs and drains were overflowing, leaving us unable to dispose of the excess water. In recent years, we’ve seen changing rainfall patterns, resulting in record levels of rain in specific areas.”

The official added that coastal cities like Mumbai are increasingly vulnerable due to extensive concretisation, which limits natural drainage and reduces water absorption capacity. “The stormwater drains in the suburbs can handle around 50 mm of rain per hour, while the island city has underground drains. We are currently identifying new flooding spots alongside the existing ones, and our officials will inspect each site to determine remedial measures,” he added.