Shardul named in Mumbai squad

Shardul Thakur
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Shardul Thakur will make a comeback to competitive cricket for Mumbai having recovered from a foot surgery while Ishan Kishan has been selected as the second wicketkeeper in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup tie, to be played in Lucknow from October 1.

Mumbai’s chief selection committee headed by former left-arm spinner Sanjay Patil on Tuesday announced a 16-member squad with four new faces. Later in the day, the national selection committee announced that Sarfaraz Khan may join as the 17^th member depending on how India’s second Test progresses in Kanpur.

The selectors have also named two of the current Test squad members – Yash Dayal and Dhruv Jurel, subject to their involvement in the Test – in the Rest of India squad, to be led by Maharashtra’s Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The only surprising inclusion in the Rest of India squad was that of Saransh Jain ahead of Washington Sundar. That the MP off-spinning allrounder was preferred also indicates that Washington will be a core member of the T20I series against Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Thakur – having completed his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru – and Shreyas Iyer – who had a mediocre outing with the willow in the Duleep Trophy – will be in limelight in the Mumbai squad, led by veteran Ajinkya Rahane. Prithvi Shaw too will make his maiden domestic season appearance after completing a one-day stint in Englnad.

The Mumbai selectors have handed a maiden call-up to youngsters Ayush Mhatre – a promising top-order batter, lanky offie Himanshu Singh and pacer Junaid Khan. The trio had had a fruitful Buchi Babu Trophy outing last month. Siddhesh Lad has earned a recall, having served a colling-off period after representing Goa for a season.

The squads

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (Capt.), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Siddhant Adhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohd. Junaid Khan, Royston Dias. 

Rest of India squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran (VC), B. Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (WK)*, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.

 * Subject to them not being involved in the second Test match 

Ends