The last time Uttar Pradesh made it to the Ranji Trophy semifinals, captain Karan Sharma, who is four months shy of turning 24, was not even a teenager and none of its existing squad members were in contention to break into its senior squad. If that makes you wonder whether its semifinal against Mumbai is going to be lopsided in favour of the 41-time champion, think again.
Despite Mumbai’s legacy and an in-form team, the current squad lacks the experience of a high-pressure match. Only two if its existing members - captain Prithvi Shaw and veteran pacer Dhawal Kulkarni - have featured in a Ranji semifinal.
