Two international stars will return to Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad for their quarter-final clash against Haryana.
Mumbai's road to the quarters
Mumbai made it into the knockouts after finishing second in the Elite Group A points table. They finished on 29 points, ending behind Jammu and Kashmir, who had punched above their weight to defeat the defending champions earlier in the tournament.
Ahead of the last league game, Mumbai were in a shootout with Baroda, the latter needing a win to edge ahead and into the quarters. However, they were unable to cross the line against Jammu and Kashmir, in a clash also ridden with allegations about pitch doctoring. Mumbai also won their game with a bonus point against Meghalaya to sail through.
T20I stars return to first-class cricket
India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been picked in the squad for the quarters after completing his assignment against England. He has been a regular for Mumbai in domestic cricket but has played just one game in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, being preoccupied with international commitments. He scored seven against Maharashtra.
Shivam Dube, the other India player who has been named in the Mumbai squad for the quarter-final, played against Jammu and Kashmir before being pulled away for the England T20Is. He was called up as an injury replacement after Nitish Kumar Reddy suffered a side strain.
The match will be played on February 8 at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Lahli.
Mumbai selector: Had to replace talented youngsters to accommodate seniors
Despite the boost of international stars in the team that also has Ajinkya Rahane as captain and the in-form Shardul Thakur, Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil maintained that the India players would need to perform well in the match. His words come on the back of the defeat to Jammu and Kashmir despite Mumbai having six internationals in their line-up. Players like Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had returned for the clash, however, they could not avoid the defeat.
Patil told Times of India: "I'm very clear on this. Considering our defeat against J&K, which came despite the presence of six India cricketers in our lineup, which was very disappointing, I want both SKY and Dube not to just participate in this Ranji Trophy knockout match, but perform well, and contribute to Mumbai's victory.
He also cautioned that the India players need to give hundred per cent for the domestic games and not just make themselves “available”: “I'm still upset at the J&K defeat, which I feel was our worst-ever. To accommodate the India players in that match, we had to deprive a few talented youngsters (like opener Ayush Mhatre). Mumbai needs players who can perform and make the side win games, something which was missing in that match. The India players need to realise it's not just about being 'available' for that game. The culture of Mumbai cricket has always been about giving your 100% when you are playing for Mumbai.”
Mumbai team for Ranji Trophy quarter-final
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Amol Bhatkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias, Atharva Ankolekar, Harsh Tanna
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
