Indian batter Prithvi Shaw is gearing up to clash with his former domestic powerhouse, Mumbai, as he represents Maharashtra in an upcoming three-day practice match. The much-anticipated encounter is scheduled to take place at the MCA Stadium in Gahunje from October 7 to 9, offering fans a glimpse into the pre-season preparations of both teams.
Shaw, who marked his First-Class debut with Mumbai during the 2016-17 season and later made his Test debut in 2018-19, made the significant decision to switch allegiances after the conclusion of last season. He joins the Maharashtra squad alongside seasoned all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, who previously showcased his talents for Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. Both Shaw and Saxena are key additions to Maharashtra’s lineup, which also boasts the presence of promising India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad.
On the opposing side, Mumbai is expected to be led by India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who is stepping into the red-ball captaincy role, taking over from the experienced Ajinkya Rahane. However, Mumbai will be without their star batter Shreyas Iyer, who has opted for a break from red-ball cricket to address a persistent back issue. Iyer had previously withdrawn from India A’s second four-day unofficial match against Australia A and India’s two-Test series against the West Indies.
In exciting news for cricket enthusiasts, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has announced that entry to this practice match will be free for all spectators, providing a fantastic opportunity to witness this intriguing face-off.
Following this crucial practice game, Mumbai is anticipated to unveil their squad for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy opener, likely on October 10 or 11. The 42-time Ranji champions are placed in Elite Group D and are set to kick off their season against Jammu and Kashmir at Srinagar’s Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium from October 15-18. Other formidable teams in Group D include Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Pondicherry.
Maharashtra, competing in Elite Group B, will commence their season with a match against Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram, also running from October 15-18. Group B features a strong lineup, including last year’s finalists Kerala, along with Saurashtra, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Goa.
Squads:
Mumbai: Shardul Thakur, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Suved Parkar, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand, Hardik Tamore, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Irfan Umair, Sylvester D’Souza, Royston Dias.
Maharashtra: Prithvi Shaw, Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankeet Bawane (c), Saurabh Nawale (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Vicky Ostwal, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Pradeep Dhade, Hitesh Walunj, Mandar Bhandari (wk), Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Rajwardhan Hangargekar, Rajneesh Gurbani.