Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur are all set to feature in the Irani Cup, playing for the Ranji Trophy champions, Mumbai which is going to be led by Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane earlier led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji trophy title. The complete squad for the yearly match, which is set to take place in Lucknow from October 1 to 5, has not yet been released by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
Mumbai will benefit greatly from Shardul’s availability, which will bolster their batting and bowling units. After having ankle surgery in June, the India all-rounder has been unable to play. A high-ranking MCA official claims that he has made himself available for the five-day first-class match. He recently competed in the KSCA tournament. On Tuesday, the MCA is anticipated to reveal the team.
Iyer will play in the renowned annual domestic match between the current Ranji winners and the Rest of India. Iyer is aiming for an international comeback after being left off of the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Iyer had an average Duleep trophy season leading the India D side but would want to make it big in the Irani trophy game, to seek a spot in India’s squad for the New Zealand test series. He would also be looking to regain his central contract with the BCCI that was taken away last year post he decided to miss the domestic games. Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul were preferred ahead of him in the ongoing test series against Bangladesh.
Rahane on the other hand would also want to score some runs post a poor Ranji season with the bat. His international return looks a long shot for now, but runs under his belt might help him find a spot in the side sometime in the future.
Meanwhile, India after winning the first test in Chennai would be looking to seal the series in Kanpur and gain some valuable WTC points. The ongoing test series against Bangladesh would be followed by three tests against New Zealand and the big Border-Gavaskar trophy against Australia, starting in November later this year.
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