Shardul, Jaiswal back in Mumbai squad for Ranji QF

Mumbai, Feb 3: Skipper Shardul Thakur and India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Monday returned to the Mumbai squad for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Karnataka to be played here from February 6.
Mumbai had topped the Elite Group D with four wins and three draws while Karnataka made it to the last eight with a thrilling victory against Punjab in their Group A match.
The quarterfinal between Mumbai and Karnataka will be played at the MCA-BKC Ground here from February 6 to 10 as the iconic Wankhede Stadium will be hosting the T20 World Cup matches from February 7.
It will be a second appearance for Jaiswal for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy this season after he played in the clash against Rajasthan in the first round.
The India opener was “not considered” for selection by the MCA and the senior selection panel after he had failed to confirm his availability during the second round of the group stage which concluded on Sunday.
Jaiswal isn’t a part of the Indian side bound for the T20 World Cup.Â
Meanwhile, regular skipper Thakur will take over the charge from Siddhesh Lad who led Mumbai in the former’s absence due to an injury suffered in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Thakur had begun bowling during the last group stage match against Delhi, which ended in a draw.
With Thakur’s return bolstering the leadership and Jaiswal adding firepower at the top, Mumbai will look to lean on experience and depth as they aim to maintain their strong domestic run in the knockout stage, while Karnataka, buoyed by their dramatic group-stage finish, are expected to pose a stiff challenge in what promises to be a keenly contested quarterfinal.
Mumbai squad: Shardul Thakur (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Siddhesh Lad, Akhil Herwadkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Onkar Tarmale, Divyansh Saxena, Suryansh Shedge.