Ajinkya Rahane to lead Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane will lead Mumbai in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), scheduled from November 23 to December 5. Meanwhile, fast bowler Tushar Deshpande is on the road to recovery after undergoing ankle surgery. The 29-year-old, who shone in IPL 2024 for Chennai Super Kings and played a key role in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy success earlier this year, is expected to rejoin the team in the second leg of the Ranji Trophy starting January 23. Deshpande’s return will provide a boost to Mumbai’s pace attack, which aims to field a formidable lineup which includes Shardul Thakur, Juned and Mohit. "Ajinkya will be leading our side in the SMAT. He has been leading the side well, and we got results in the Irani Cup as well as the ongoing Ranji season. Tushar is recovering at the NCA in Bengaluru and will return for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy, which is crucial for us. We are sticking to our core players to ensure maximum strength with Tushar, Shardul, Juned, and Mohit," the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official told IANS. One of the major highlights for Mumbai’s SMAT squad is the return of Prithvi Shaw. The 25-year-old, who has represented India in five Tests, six ODIs, and one T20I, had been left out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad due to issues related to fitness and discipline.

However, Shaw was included in Mumbai’s 28 probables for the SMAT. The opener will make his comeback against Goa in Hyderabad on November 24 and will open the batting with Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Unfortunately, promising young batter Ayush Mhatre, fresh off scoring his second first-class century against Services in Palam, will miss the tournament due to his selection for India’s U19 squad for the upcoming ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024. He will travel with the team on November 23. The SMAT is part of a jam-packed domestic season that will also see the Ranji Trophy divided into two phases, alongside the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy. Mumbai Probables: Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Jay Bista, Shreeraj Gharat, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Ishan Mulchandani, Siddesh Lad, Hardik Tamore (wk), Aakash Anand (wk), Sairaj Patil, Akash Parkar, Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, Sagar Chhabria, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias, Yogesh Patil, Harsh Tanna, Irfan Umair, Vinayak Bhoir, Krutik Hanagavadi, Shashank Attarde, Juned Khan.