Thakur, Jaiswal Return as Mumbai Face Karnataka in Ranji Trophy Quarter-final

Mumbai will welcome back Shardul Thakur as captain and Yashasvi Jaiswal as opener for their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Karnataka, which begins on February 6 at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

The duo had missed the latter half of the Ranji Trophy group stage after the tournament resumed following the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Thakur had led Mumbai during the October–November phase of the competition, while Jaiswal was on national duty, featuring in India’s multi-format series against South Africa.

Mumbai progressed comfortably to the knockout stage, finishing top of Group D with 33 points — the highest tally in the group and the second-highest across all teams. They recorded four wins and three draws without suffering a defeat. In Thakur’s absence, the side was captained by Siddhesh Lad, who has been in prolific form this season, scoring five centuries.

As group toppers, Mumbai will enjoy home advantage in the quarter-final. Their opponents Karnataka secured qualification as runners-up in Group B on the final day of the league stage and will be led by an in-form Devdutt Padikkal.

Mumbai are chasing a record-extending 43rd Ranji Trophy title, having last lifted the trophy in the 2023–24 season. Karnataka, the competition’s second-most successful side, will be aiming for their ninth championship.

Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy quarter-final:
Shardul Thakur (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Aakash Anand, Hardik Tamore, Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Omkar Tarmale, Divyansh Saxena, Suryansh Shedge