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Beginning on January 12, Mumbai’s second-round Ranji
Trophy 2023–24 matchup versus Andhra will feature Shreyas Iyer in the Mumbai
lineup. For the first time since the 2018–19 campaign, it will be his first
Ranji Trophy return to the Mumbai XI.
Before the home Tests against England begin in
Hyderabad on January 25, Iyer will have a chance to regain form at the Sharad
Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC. During a challenging tour to South Africa, Iyer
scored 31, 6, 0 and 4 not out. He wasn’t included in India’s T20I team for the
three-match series against Afghanistan earlier this week.
Iyer had not played red-ball cricket for over nine
months after recovering from a back injury sustained during the home
Border-Gavaskar series against Australia in February and March of last year.
The two Tests in South Africa marked that time.
Iyer recovered from surgery during the Asia Cup and
was instrumental in leading India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, having
missed the Caribbean trip and the next WTC Final. After Rohit Sharma and Virat
Kohli, he scored the third-most runs for India in the World Cup with 530 in 11
innings at 66.25, which included two hundreds and three half-centuries. For the
final two Twenty20 Internationals played at home against Australia in December,
he was selected vice captain.
Mumbai is relieved to have Iyer on board considering
they will be without Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan. While Dube has returned to
India’s T20I squad for the Afghanistan series, Sarfaraz is included in the
India A team for the two-day tour match against the England Lions in Ahmedabad
on January 12–13.
Ajinkya Rahane, who missed the Ranji opener in Patna
because of neck spasms, is thought to have healed enough, but opener Prithvi
Shaw, who hasn’t played any competitive cricket since August 2023, is still
sidelined as he recovers from a knee injury. It is anticipated that he would
guide Mumbai as he did in the last campaign. In Rahane’s absence, the team was
led by spin-bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani.