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Shreyas Iyer is set to rejoin the Mumbai squad for the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 second-round match against Andhra starting on January 12. This marks his return to the Mumbai XI for the Ranji Trophy after the 2018-19 season. The home game at Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy offers Iyer a chance to regain form before the upcoming home Tests against England starting January 25 in Hyderabad. Iyer faced challenges during the South Africa tour, scoring 31, 6, 0, and 4* not out. Notably, he was not named in India’s T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan.
Iyer’s recent Tests in South Africa were his first red-ball games in nearly nine months since recovering from a back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia in February-March. After missing the WTC Final and the Caribbean tour, Iyer returned during the Asia Cup and played a pivotal role in India’s run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He was the third-highest run-scorer for India in the World Cup, amassing 530 runs at an average of 66.25, including two centuries and three half-centuries. In December, he was appointed vice-captain for the last two T20Is against Australia.
Iyer’s inclusion provides a boost to Mumbai, who will be without Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube. Sarfaraz is part of the India A squad for a two-day tour game against England Lions, while Dube has returned to India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.
Opener Prithvi Shaw, recovering from a knee injury, continues to miss out, having not played competitive cricket since August 2023. Ajinkya Rahane, who sat out the Ranji opener in Patna due to neck spasms, is likely to have recovered and is expected to lead Mumbai, with Shams Mulani having captained in Rahane’s absence.
The Mumbai squad includes: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Shreyas Iyer, Jay Bista, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Suved Parkar, Prasad Pawar (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi, Dhaval Kulkarni, Royston Dias, Sylvester Dsouza.
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