Mumbai seek winning start in Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh at Wankhede

Mumbai will play Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium in the Ranji Trophy season opener on Sunday, with captain Siddhesh Lad and head coach Omkar Salvi intent on making the most of home conditions.

The expanding domestic calendar has introduced fresh opponents to Mumbai’s schedule; after meeting Puducherry and Meghalaya for the first time last season, Mumbai now face Chandigarh in the season opener as they aim for a record-extending 43rd title and hope to secure a bonus-point victory.

Mumbai will be without Shardul Thakur after he fractured his right middle finger, but the side retains experienced options. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s availability is a significant boost before the India Test opener heads to New Zealand for a rigorous tour, and he joins Sarfaraz Khan and Sarfaraz’s younger brother Musheer in a batting unit expected to seek runs early in the campaign. Ayush Mhatre has been elevated to vice-captain and will be looking to justify that promotion while being groomed for a leadership role alongside Siddhesh Lad.

With Shardul sidelined, Tushar Deshpande will spearhead the pace attack for Mumbai. Spin-bowling all-rounders Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian will look to make an early impression, and the trio has been knocking on the door of national selection; another productive outing could strengthen their cases.

There is a coaching subplot to the fixture: when Lad first captained Mumbai in 2018-19, Vinayak Samant was the team’s head coach. Samant was appointed Chandigarh coach only three days before the opener and will return to the Wankhede in the opposition dugout for this match.

Chandigarh captain Manan Vohra and Samant face a Mumbai side familiar with the venue and its history, and the visitor’s relatively inexperienced squad will need to withstand early pressure to mount a challenge. The travelling side’s task is to find a way to test the hosts despite that inexperience.

For Mumbai, the immediate objective is straightforward: make home advantage count and begin the long road to another title in emphatic fashion.