Yashasvi Jaiswal Set to Strengthen Mumbai in Ranji Trophy Semifinal Against Vidarbha

Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is set to play for Mumbai in their crucial Ranji Trophy semifinal clash against Vidarbha, which will take place in Nagpur from February 17. Jaiswal, who was initially included in India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, missed out on the final selection and will now return to boost Mumbai’s lineup in the domestic tournament.

Mumbai, the defending Ranji Trophy champions, will benefit from Jaiswal’s presence as they prepare to take on a dominant Vidarbha side. The team already features experienced international players such as captain Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Shardul Thakur. Jaiswal previously played for Mumbai in the group stage against Jammu and Kashmir last month, where he scored 4 and 26 runs in a match that also marked the return of Indian captain Rohit Sharma to the Ranji Trophy after a decade.

Jaiswal was originally named in India’s main squad for the ICC Champions Trophy but was later replaced by spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the final squad, announced on February 11. He made his ODI debut against England in Nagpur, scoring 15 runs off 22 balls. Meanwhile, Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube remains in the non-traveling reserves for the Champions Trophy and will be available in Dubai if required.

The semifinal matchup against Vidarbha is a rematch of last season’s Ranji Trophy final, setting the stage for a high-stakes encounter. Vidarbha has been in formidable form this season, winning six out of seven group stage matches, with their only draw coming against Gujarat. They further demonstrated their dominance by securing a 198-run victory over Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals.

Mumbai, on the other hand, had a mixed group-stage campaign, registering four wins along with two losses to Baroda and Jammu and Kashmir, and one draw. However, they bounced back strongly in the quarterfinals, defeating Haryana by 152 runs.

With Jaiswal’s return and a star-studded lineup, Mumbai will be looking to overcome Vidarbha’s challenge and secure a spot in the Ranji Trophy final as they aim to defend their title.

Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Amogh Bhatkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D’Souza, Royston Dias, Atharva Ankolekar, Harsh Tanna.