Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Buoyed by Shreyas’ return, Mumbai looks to get campaign back on track against Odisha

Mumbai finds itself fourth in a group of eight and the relatively inexperienced batting line-up will be banking on captain Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer to take the game away from Odisha.

FILE PHOTO: Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer in action on the Day 2 of Ranji match between Mumbai and Maharashtra at MCA BKC ground. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/ The Hindu

Moments after Mumbai finished its practice session on Tuesday, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan chatted with each other at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground.

While the latter will train on the sidelines of the Ranji Trophy game, Mumbai will be hoping for Shreyas to boost the side ahead of the encounter against Odisha on Wednesday and stabilise its topsy-turvy Ranji Trophy campaign.

Shreyas, after ending his three-year First Class hundred drought while helping Mumbai set up an outright win against Maharashtra last month, took a break from the last round against Tripura in Agartala.

With the defending champion being forced to be content with an innings lead, Mumbai will rely on Shreyas to ensure there are no further hiccups. After all, Mumbai finds itself placed at the fourth position in a group of eight. And the relatively inexperienced batting line-up will be banking on captain Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas to take the game away from Odisha.

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With Suryansh Shedge, the youngster, having plundered a run-a-ball 99 in Agartala, Siddhesh Lad is set to make way for Shreyas.

Odisha, with renewed hopes under new head coach Surendra Bhave at the start of the season, is yet to take off in its campaign. A washout against Tripura was followed with a slender innings lead against Jammu & Kashmir, but then the team went down by an innings against an on-song Baroda in the pre-Diwali round.

Govinda Poddar, the captain who is back in charge, was confident of not being overawed by the legacy of the opposition. “We beat Mumbai in Bengaluru during the Vijay Hazare Trophy last year. Definitely, in Ranji Trophy, in red-ball cricket, Mumbai is a very good side. But given a chance, the team which plays on that day will definitely win the match,” Poddar said.

“If we perform here, then definitely our players are going to get more limelight throughout India. It’s a very good opportunity for us to experiment and implement what we have planned and prepared since last year.”