Mumbai: Flamboyant India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was on Thursday drafted into the Mumbai squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha, strengthening the domestic giants ahead of the big game in Jamtha, Nagpur.
Mumbai outclassed Haryana by 152 runs in their quarterfinal match at Kolkata on Tuesday.
The semifinals will be starting on February 17.
Jaiswal, who will join the squad on Friday, is among India’s non-travelling substitutes for the Champions Trophy, alongside all-rounder Shivam Dube. The duo will only be required to fly to Dubai if necessary, allowing Jaiswal to focus entirely on Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign.
Jaiswal was initially part of India’s 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy but was later replaced by Varun Chakaravarthy, as India opted to add a fifth spinner to their travelling side. The opener also played in the opening ODI of the series against England – which was his debut in the format – but failed to make a mark, scoring 15 off 22 deliveries.
While his red-ball form this domestic season has been limited to a single outing – where he managed scores of 4 and 26 in Mumbai’s unexpected loss to Jammu & Kashmir – Jaiswal’s recent performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been impressive. The 23-year-old amassed 391 runs in five Tests against Australia at an average of 43.44, including a century and two fifties.
The upcoming semifinal at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Jamtha will be a repeat of last season’s final, where Mumbai emerged victorious to claim yet another Ranji Trophy crown. Vidarbha, however, will be eager to turn the tables this time.
Mumbai’s senior selection committee, comprising chairman Sanjay Patil, along with Ravi Thaker, Jeetendra Thackeray, Kiran Powar, and Vikrant Yeligeti, made the call to include Jaiswal in the squad.
Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), 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 Dsouza, Royston Dias, Atharva Ankolekar, Harsh Tanna.
