Star India batter, Shreyas Iyer is set to play for Mumbai in their second round fixture of the Ranji Trophy 2024 against Andhra Pradesh beginning on Friday ahead of the home Test series against England. The right-hand batter is playing for his domestic side for the first time in the Ranji Trophy since the 2018-19 season.
The home game at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC provides an opportunity for the 29-year-old to improve his form ahead of the home Tests against England, which begin on January 25 in Hyderabad. The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper had a rough South Africa tour, scoring 31, 6, 0, and 4 not out. Earlier this week, he was left out of India’s T20I team for the three-match series against Afghanistan.
The two Tests in South Africa marked Iyer’s first red-ball games in nearly nine months, following his recovery from a back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar series at home against Australia in February-March. After missing the 2017 WTC Final and the Caribbean tour, Iyer returned from surgery for the Asia Cup and played an important role in India’s journey to the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
The Chembur-born player scored the third-most runs for India in the World Cup, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with 530 in 11 innings at 66.25, including two hundreds and three half-centuries. In December, he was selected as vice captain for the final two T20Is at home against Australia. Iyer’s joining is a boost for Mumbai, which will be missing Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube. Sarfaraz is part of India A’s two-day tour game against the England Lions in Ahmedabad on January 12-13, while Dube has returned to India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.
Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shreyas Iyer, Jay Bista, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Suved Parkar, Prasad Pawar (wicket-keeper), Hardik Tamore (wicket-keeper), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Royston Dias, Sylvester Dsouza.
