Mumbai announced a 16-man squad for their final Elite Group B clash in the ongoing Ranji Trophy against Assam at MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. While most of the squad remains the same with Ajinkya Rahane as captain and the likes of Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw and Shivam Dube also part of the team, Shreyas Iyer was the notable absentee. Iyer was recently dropped from the Indian Test team, owing to poor form which has seen him averaging 19 in the last 10 innings.
If the directive from the BCCI as per a report by the news agency PTI was true, Iyer should have made himself available for Mumbai, which required players not in the Test team to play a few Ranji matches in order to play the IPL. Hence, Iyer's absence has further raised questions over the management of the whole issue with Ishan Kishan at the centre of it. Kishan, who has taken a break has been seen practising in Baroda with the Pandya brothers but hasn't made himself available for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy.
How strict the directive is will be known in 24 hours when Jharkhand's playing XI is announced for their 7th Ranji Trophy clash against Rajasthan.
Mumbai, on the other hand, are currently at the top of the table in Group B with four wins in six games and are on course to make it through to the knockouts despite one of their star players Sarfaraz Khan being with the national side.
Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy match against Assam: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shivam Dube, Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Suryansh Shedge, Prasad Pawar (wk), Hardik Tamore, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Aditya Dhumal, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Royston Dias
