look news india
New Delhi, September 24 (HS). Ajinkya Rahane is all set to lead Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the upcoming Irani Cup match against Rest of India in Lucknow from October 1 to 5, which will also see all-rounder Shardul Thakur return to first-class cricket after undergoing surgery.
It is understood that all the top players including Shreyas Iyer, Mushir Khan, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian will play in this match.
However, it is not yet clear whether Sarfaraz Khan, who is in the Indian team, will be selected for this match or not. The Kanpur Test against Bangladesh is starting from September 27 and if Sarfaraz is not selected in the playing XI, which can happen, then the Mumbai Cricket Association can request to let their key batsman play in the Irani Cup. The team can be announced today.
It is understood that India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and allrounder Shivam Dube, who are both automatic picks in the Indian T20 squad, will not play the Irani Cup as they have to report in Gwalior on October 3 for the T20I series starting on October 6.
