MUMBAI: Boosted by the return of India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, defending champions Mumbai will aim to recover from their 84-run defeat to Baroda earlier this week when they face Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Maharashtra at the MCA ground in BKC starting Friday.
Allrounder Shardul Thakur acknowledged the impact of having Surya back in the lineup:
“Of course, he’s been an integral part of the team for years. Though he might not bat at No. 4 this time, we all know what he’s capable of. The modern Suryakumar Yadav is a completely different player from what he was 10 years ago. He has found his own ways of scoring runs, and it will be really interesting to see how he approaches the red ball.”
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Despite his success in white-ball formats, Surya, who is eyeing a return to India’s Test side, has an impressive first-class record with 5649 runs in 83 matches at an average of 43.12, including 14 centuries and 29 fifties. The 34-year-old will replace Siddhesh Lad, who scored 8 & 59 in the previous match.
Meanwhile, Thakur suggested that Mumbai’s shock defeat to Baroda may have stemmed from lingering celebrations following their historic Irani Cup win after 27 years.
“Wins and losses are part of the game. We had just played a high-intensity Irani Cup game, and maybe we were still high from that win. It’s a wake-up call for us—an eye-opener that there are other teams out there ready to compete,” Thakur said.
Ready to learn from ‘Professors’
Maharashtra coach Sulakshan Kulkarni dismissed the notion that Mumbai’s previous defeat would work in his team’s favour, citing Mumbai’s history of bouncing back strongly.
“If you look at history, Mumbai lost to Uttar Pradesh last season but went on to win the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai tend to win after a loss, so I’m not concerned about their defeat to Baroda.”
Returning to the same venue where Mumbai demolished his former team Tamil Nadu in the Ranji semifinals, Kulkarni termed Mumbai as the “professors” of domestic cricket.
“We’ve come to learn from the ‘professors’ — Mumbai. Whether it was 50 years ago or today, Mumbai always teaches you something. They’re double champions, having won both the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup,” Kulkarni remarked.
He also highlighted the strength of Mumbai’s squad, which includes five India players, among them the experienced Ajinkya Rahane.
“This is a big team. Their first five are all Test players, with a captain who has played in 85 Tests. And they have talents like Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian, one of India’s finest. Mumbai’s ‘khadoos’ (gritty) approach is back, and it’s with that spirit they won the Irani Cup,” Kulkarni concluded.
