Mumbai to face Himachal Pradesh at Luhnu in Ranji Trophy from Sunday

Mumbai will face Himachal Pradesh at the Luhnu Cricket Ground from Sunday in the Ranji Trophy, with Mumbai aiming to build on a bonus-point victory over Chandigarh inside three days. Himachal returns home after a loss to Haryana and must prepare for a match at a ground its players have not used for a First Class fixture in 25 years.

The hosts arrive at a venue that feels unfamiliar despite being their home ground, and their relatively inexperienced bowling attack will be tested by a strong Mumbai lineup. Mumbai will be missing Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a right hamstring tear, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who leaves for India-A’s New Zealand tour ahead of the two-Test series. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Suryansh Shedge have joined Mumbai’s squad ahead of the match.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi, fresh from consecutive double-centuries in the under-23 Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy, is likely to open alongside Divyaansh Saxena. Suryansh Shedge offers an additional middle-order option to a batting group that includes Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan and captain Siddhesh Lad.

Mumbai’s bowling attack will be led by Tushar Deshpande, who claimed seven wickets, including a hat-trick in the first innings, against Chandigarh. With Shardul Thakur still unfit, Mohit Avasthi and Sylvester D’Souza are expected to share the pace duties, while Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani provide spin options.

The surface at Luhnu is expected to assist seamers in the cooler morning conditions before becoming more favourable for batting under the afternoon sun. That change in conditions increases the importance of early breakthroughs for Himachal’s bowlers to prevent Mumbai’s batters from settling.

Himachal’s batting will rely heavily on captain Pukhraj Mann and the experienced Nehal Wadhera to anchor the innings. Akash Vasisth will come into the match on the back of a century scored against Haryana.

The Ranji Trophy fixture between Himachal Pradesh and Mumbai starts Sunday at the Luhnu Cricket Ground, where Himachal must find a way to challenge a Mumbai side that began the campaign with a rapid bonus-point win.