MUMBAI:
Rajesh Pawar, Mumbai’s chief selector, confirmed on Friday that Raghuvanshi has fully recovered, while Mhatre's recovery will take additional time. Raghuvanshi's absence from the T20 Mumbai League in June was due to a fracture in his left hand, which necessitated surgery in London. His performance in the last IPL season was noteworthy, as he emerged as KKR's leading run-scorer, amassing 422 runs across 13 matches, including five half-centuries in 12 innings. This marked the second consecutive season in which he scored over 300 runs for the franchise.
Exciting Young Talent in the Squad
The Mumbai squad, captained by Suved Parkar, features several promising players, including allrounder Suryansh Shedge, who has represented India in three T20 Internationals during recent tours of Ireland, England, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, the team includes emerging fast bowlers Karthik Kumar and Onkar Tarmale, both of whom showcased their skills during a tour of England with the MCA President’s XI. This selection marks Karthik's debut in the Mumbai senior team, with Pawar praising his impressive bowling during the England tour.
Another notable player is opener Divyaansh Saxena, who previously played a single Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai in January 2023. Saxena was the standout performer in the T20 Mumbai League this year, clinching the Orange Cap with 261 runs, including three half-centuries and an impressive strike rate of 190. The KSCA Invitational Tournament, an annual pre-season red-ball event, is set to take place from September 1 to 28 at various venues in Bengaluru. Mumbai's first match will be against Chandigarh from September 1 to 4, followed by fixtures against Maharashtra and KSCA -3.
The Mumbai senior selection committee, led by new chief selector Rajesh Pawar, has also finalized teams for two warm-up tournaments, including another pre-season red-ball tournament in Pondicherry, scheduled from August 28 to September 11, which will feature up to four three-day matches.
