NEW DELHI: Out-of-favor Indian batter Shreyas Iyer is set to make a compelling comeback to domestic cricket as he gears up to play for Mumbai in the highly anticipated Ranji Trophy semi-final clash against Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
Following his exclusion from the Indian Test squad and removal from the BCCI's list of contracted players due to injury and unavailability for the Ranji Trophy quarter-final, Iyer is poised to showcase his prowess and silence his critics on the domestic stage.
Fully recovered from his groin and back issues, Iyer's return to the Mumbai lineup is expected to bolster their batting lineup, particularly against Tamil Nadu's formidable spin bowling attack, led by skipper R Sai Kishore and left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram.
With Iyer's batting prowess and experience, Mumbai aim to counter the threat posed by Tamil Nadu's bowling arsenal and make a resounding statement in the encounter.
The clash promises to be a riveting battle between Tamil Nadu's disciplined bowlers and their prolific batting unit against Mumbai's well-rounded team.
Despite lacking standout performances from key players like skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai have relied on collective contributions to secure their spot in the semifinals. With no Mumbai bowler among the top wicket-takers, the team's cohesive bowling effort has been instrumental in their journey to the final four.
Both Mumbai and Tamil Nadu enter the semifinal stage on the back of impressive wins in the quarterfinals. Mumbai's triumph was fueled by a historic batting display, highlighted by Musheer Khan's unbeaten double century, while Tamil Nadu showcased their bowling prowess by dismissing defending champions Saurashtra.
1/10:Annual central contracts: BCCI drops Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan
Getty Images
2/10:BCCI
<p>BCCI, on Wednesday, sent a strong message that not playing in the Ranji Trophy unless you are on national duty or are unfit will not be tolerated. </p>
3/10:The exclusions
<p>BCCI excluded India's middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan from the list of 30 centrally contracted players. </p>Getty Images
4/10:Shreyas Iyer
<p>Shreyas Iyer missed the last league match and the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal, citing back pain, but has been included for the semifinal against Tamil Nadu from March 2 in Mumbai. </p>PTI
5/10:Ishan Kishan
<p>Ishan Kishan came back midway from India's tour of South Africa due to 'personal reasons' in December last year, missed the Test series against England and didn't play in the Ranji for Jharkhand. </p>TNN
6/10:KL Rahul
<p>Middle-order batsmen KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and pacer Mohammed Siraj have all been elevated to the Grade A category. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant, who has been out of action since January 2023 while recovering from a horrific road accident, finds himself in Grade B. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Grade A
<p>Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami have been retained in Grade A along with Hardik Pandya. </p>Getty Images
9/10:Top grade
<p>Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have been retained in the A+ category. </p>Getty Images
10/10:Axar Patel
<p>Axar Patel, who had a Grade A contract last season, has been moved to Grade B after losing his place in the India Test side to Kuldeep Yadav. </p>PTIA notable aspect of Tamil Nadu's campaign has been their ability to bowl out opponents twice in all Ranji matches this season, underscoring their dominance with the ball. The team's batting unit, led by N Jagadeesan and Baba Indrajith, will look to maintain their consistency and build on their impressive performances to secure a spot in the final.
With a batting-friendly surface expected, Mumbai's deep batting lineup, featuring the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur, poses a formidable challenge for Tamil Nadu's bowlers.
However, Tamil Nadu will rely on their strengths, including the form of Jagadeesan and Indrajith, along with the support of seamers like Sandeep Warrier, to counter Mumbai's batting onslaught and advance to the final.
As the cricketing fraternity eagerly awaits this gripping encounter, all eyes will be on Shreyas Iyer as he seeks redemption and aims to guide Mumbai to victory in the crucial Ranji Trophy semi-final clash against Tamil Nadu.
Squads:
Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Musheer Khan, Prasad Pawar (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Aditya Dhumal, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Royston Dias, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Tamil Nadu: R Sai Kishore (c), Pradosh Ranjan Paul (vc), Baba Indrajith, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Suresh Lokeshwar (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Vimal Khumar, Balasubramaniam Sachin, Washington Sundar, Sandeep Warrier, Trilok Nag, T Natarajan, Mohammed Mohammed, S Ajith Ram.
Match starts at 9:30am IST.
(With inputs from PTI)
