Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav throughout a coaching session on the eve of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal cricket match in opposition to Haryana, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on February 7, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: PTI
Title contenders and defending champions Mumbai can have each type and pedigree on their facet after they tackle a spirited Haryana outfit that’s in search of to show some extent of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal beginning in Kolkata from Saturday (February 8, 2025)..
The shifting of the match to the enduring Eden Gardens from Lahli, Haryana’s dwelling venue, has affected the journey plans of each the groups, particularly the hosts because the BCCI has not formally supplied them any motive for the change.
Whereas Haryana is not going to benefit from the benefit of taking part in within the acquainted environs of the Bansi Lal Stadium, Mumbai are too skilled a facet to take any staff evenly, extra so in a knockout sport of the nation’s premier home event which they’ve received an unprecedented 42 instances.
As they brace as much as tackle a formidable opponent, Haryana wouldn’t wish to learn a lot into the shifting of their dwelling match to a impartial venue, and would quite give attention to the job at hand.
With India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and big-hitting all-rounder Shivam Dube becoming a member of an already sturdy and settled Mumbai staff, Haryana know they may have their process reduce out over what guarantees to be 4 days of intense battle.
Mumbai is not going to be brief on confidence having registered their largest win — by an innings and 456 runs — in opposition to Meghalaya of their final group match to qualify for the knockouts.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane has too many sources at his disposal and zeroing in on the taking part in XI shouldn’t be going to be a straightforward process for the seasoned chief.
Mumbai had three centurions in Siddhesh Lad, Akash Anand and Shams Mulani with Rahane himself making 96 of their earlier sport and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see who’re the 2 gamers making manner for Suryakumar and Dube within the XI. Even pacer Shardul Thakur slammed a 42-ball 84 at a strike charge of 200.
Whereas Shardul, together with left-arm spinner Mulani and in-form off-spinner Tanush Kotian, are sure to shoulder the majority of the bowling load, the Mumbai assume tank might be compelled to drop two amongst openers Ayush Mhatre, Amogh Bhatkal and Suryansh Shedge from their much-vaunted batting line-up.
Each Suryakumar and Dube, who not too long ago featured in India’s five-match T20I sequence in opposition to England, have performed one match every in Mumbai’s title defence this season.
Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 sequence victory over England, however his personal type left rather a lot to be desired because the batter was discovered wanting in opposition to the tempo and bounce of Jofra Archer and Mark Wooden, managing simply 28 runs throughout 5 innings.
Having acquired out a number of instances whereas making an attempt to play the flick shot, Suryakumar would need to use this match to deal with his batting woes.
In skipper Ankit Kumar, Nishant Sindhu, Himanshu Rana and Yuvraj Singh, Haryana have the batting to place up an enormous complete after which look as much as the likes of Anshul Kamboj, Anuj Thakral and Jayant Yadav for breakthroughs with the ball.
Vidarbha optimistic in opposition to Tamil Nadu
Having entered the quarterfinals with 40 factors and 6 outright wins in seven video games — essentially the most by any staff within the group stage this season — Vidarbha will fancy their possibilities in opposition to an equally decided Tamil Nadu of their match that can happen at Civil Traces Stadium in Nagpur.
Tamil Nadu completed on prime of the desk in Group D with three wins and three attracts in seven matches.
Vidarbha, alternatively, toped Group B.
So far as Vidarbha batting is anxious, the onus can be on in-form Karun Nair to cleared the path, whereas Tamil Nadu have seasoned campaigners resembling N Jagadeesan, Baba Indrajith and Vijay Shankar to do the job for them with the willow.
J&Okay face Kerala in Pune
Like Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, too, will not take pleasure in dwelling benefit after their quarterfinal in opposition to Kerala was shifted from Jammu to the MCA Stadium in Pune.
On this case although, the change happened after the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Affiliation (JKCA) expressed its issues to the BCCI in regards to the floor circumstances following a harsh winter.
Glorious comeback conjures up Saurashtra
Struggling on the backside of the desk midway into the Ranji season with 4 factors in 4 video games, Saurashtra staged a exceptional comeback with three successive bonus-point wins to enter the knockouts and arrange a quarterfinal assembly at dwelling (Rajkot) with Gujarat.
Coming off an unimaginable run, the Jaydev Unadkat-led Saurasthra have now given themselves an actual probability of profitable their third Ranji title in 5 years.
Gujarat (32), who’ve the third highest factors within the group stage, are definitely no pushovers however Saurashtra are banking on their collective may to proceed their progress.
Revealed – February 07, 2025 02:47 pm IST
