Ajinkya Rahane will be eager to make a big score.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The last couple of weeks have been challenging for Mumbai. After starting its Ranji Trophy campaign on a high, with a win against Jammu and Kashmir, the domestic giant has stuttered in its last couple of games, settling for draws.
But when it faces Himachal Pradesh in an Elite Group-D fixture at the MCA-BKC ground on Saturday, Mumbai will be hoping to return to winning ways. After its previous outing against Rajasthan in Jaipur, Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur seemed disappointed with the flat pitch, but at home, where the surface is likely to offer some turn from the second day, Mumbai will be banking on its spinners Shams Mulani and Himanshu Singh.
Forced change
Yashasvi Jaiswal is part of the Indian team for the Test series against South Africa and it has forced Mumbai to make a solitary change. As a result Ayush Mhatre returns to the squad.
In Jaipur, a batting collapse in the first innings hurt Mumbai, and in a crucial fixture, the onus will be on seasoned campaigners — Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad — to convert the starts into big scores. And as Mumbai hopes to iron out the flaws, vice-captain Lad admitted that the next two home games will be the key for Mumbai for the rest of the season.
Coming on the back of a defeat against Hyderabad, Himachal Pradesh, too, aims to bring its campaign back on track, and as captain Ankush Bains pointed out, playing against Mumbai will be a motivation for the team.
“We don’t see playing against Mumbai as a challenge if we play with a positive mindset. If we play well against Mumbai, we get noticed and that’s why players are motivated,” Bains said.
The team features experienced players such as Pukhraj Mann, Akash Vasisth and Mayank Dagar, who would be hoping to prove a point.
Published – November 07, 2025 05:45 pm IST
