The Ranji Trophy season is underway, with the knockout rounds now underway, and many international players are getting ready for red-ball cricket, ahead of their international Test series. Mumbai will face Karnataka in the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy season. It is going to be a blockbuster match as both the teams have shown great form before their match.
Mumbai have recalled two of their best cricketers ahead of their crucial clash starting on February 6, with captain Shardul Thakur returning to the squad along with left-handed opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal. The former player missed two matches due to the injury he sustained while playing for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Maharashtra in Jaipur on January 3, 2026.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is back after a long time
Jaiswal, on the other hand, last played a competitive match for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 on January 6, 2026, against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur. Although he missed the last two Elite Group D matches of the Ranji Trophy against Hyderabad and Delhi, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is unhappy with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s decision to skip the last two matches of the group stage.
Yashasvi Jaiswal last played a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai against Rajasthan in Jaipur in the first week of November 2025 and scored 67 and 156 runs in the two innings. Since then, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been absent from red-ball domestic cricket. The return of the opener will definitely boost the team’s confidence.
Will Siddhesh Lad shine against Karnataka?
Apart from him, star batsman Siddhesh Lad is going through a bad phase as he has scored five centuries in the current season. He will be important in the knockout match against Karnataka. Along with him, star batsman Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande are the other players included in Mumbai’s squad for the quarter-final match.
Former Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been dropped from the team. The experienced Indian batsman last featured in a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai against Himachal Pradesh in Mumbai from November 8 to 10, 2025. In the game, he failed to impress, scoring only two runs.
Mumbai still finding its way against Karnataka
Mumbai did not lose a single game in their group stage, winning four and drawing three and topped their group before qualifying for the knockouts. Karnataka, on the other hand, lost one of their group games and finished second in the points table. They have a new captain Devdutt Padikal, who has replaced Mayank Agarwal.
In the last five matches between these two teams, Karnataka has had the upper hand, winning three and two matches being drawn. This is their first meeting since 2020, when Karnataka won the game by 5 wickets. This time, Mumbai will try to change things by remembering its record.
Mumbai Team:
Shardul Thakur (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Anand (wicketkeeper), Hardik Tamore (wicketkeeper), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasth, Omkar Tarmale, Divyesh Saxena and Suryansh Shedge.
Also read: RCB star Devdutt Padikkal named Karnataka captain on KL Rahul’s return for Ranji Trophy