Thakur, Jaiswal return to Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy QF against Karnataka
New Delhi, Feb 2
Seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has made a return to captain Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Karnataka, starting on February 6 at the MCA-BKC Ground in Mumbai.
Thakur's return comes after recovering from a calf injury sustained in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was spotted bowling in the nets at the venue, where Mumbai recently drew their final league stage game against Delhi on Sunday. He will now take over Mumbai's captaincy from stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad.
Left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been included in the squad and is on the verge of playing his first Ranji Trophy game since the prestigious first-class season resumed. Jaiswal last played a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai against Rajasthan in Jaipur in November 2025, where he scored 67 and 156.
Mumbai, the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions, will hope their returning stars will help them challenge Karnataka, the eight-time championship winning team comprising skipper Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna. Mumbai finished the group stage as table-toppers of Elite Group D with 33 points.
During Mumbai's final Ranji Trophy league stage game against Delhi, players were forced to put on masks on their face to protect themselves from pollution caused by nearby construction. It is understood that protectionary sheets will be used on the construction sites when the quarter-final game will be happening.
Other quarter-final clashes in the Ranji Trophy will be between Jharkhand and Uttarakhand at Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir at Holkar Stadium in Indore, Bengal and Andhra at Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani.
Mumbai squad: Shardul Thakur (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Aakash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Omkar Tarmale, Divyesh Saxena and Suryansh Shedge.
— IANS
Reader Comments
So happy to see Yashasvi back! He's our future star. That 156 in his last game was pure class. Hope he carries that form. Also, the pollution issue during the Delhi match was worrying. Good that they're taking precautions with sheets, but long-term solution needed.
Strong squad. But respectfully, I'm a bit concerned about Thakur's fitness. Coming back from a calf injury straight into a high-pressure knockout match? Hope he's 100%. Karnataka will test every bit of him. Fingers crossed for our boys in blue.
As a cricket fan living in Mumbai, the atmosphere for these knockout games is electric! The real story is the battle within: Mumbai's domestic giants vs Karnataka's current India stars. Can't wait for the 6th. Hoping for a great contest, may the best team win.
Khadoos cricket at its best! This is what Ranji Trophy is about. Forget the masks and pollution (though it's a serious issue), focus on the cricket. Mumbai's bench strength is incredible. Even without some big names, they topped the group. That's legacy.
Good to see the squad. But what about Shaw? Is he still injured? His explosive starts are missed. Anyway, Jaiswal and Sarfaraz in the middle order is a dream for any team. Karnataka bowlers, beware!
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