The Mumbai cricket team has received a huge boost ahead of their Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semi-final clash with Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal making himself available for the clash starting from February 17.
Defending champions Mumbai beat Haryana by 152 runs in the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals in Kolkata to set up a semis clash against Vidarbha.
Jaiswal wasn’t part of the Mumbai squad for the match against Haryana and was expected to miss the semi-finals as well as he was originally named in the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which starts from February 19.
However, a late rejig in India’s Champions Trophy squad saw Jaiswal drop out of the touring party and be named as a non-travelling reserve. The development opened up Jaiswal’s calendar to feature in the Ranji Trophy semis.
“Jaiswal confirmed to me that he's available for the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha. I have accordingly informed the selectors about the same," Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Abhay Hadap told the Times of India.
Part of the Rajasthan Royals team for IPL 2025, Jaiswal will be travelling to Nagpur with the Mumbai cricket squad for the match vs Vidarbha.
The 23-year-old Jaiswal was in fantastic form last year and was India’s top run-scorer in Tests, scoring 1478 runs at an average of 54.74 and a strike rate of nearly 70.
The southpaw, who was named in Cricket Australia’s best Test team of 2024, hit 36 sixes in red ball cricket in 2024 - a new world record for the most maximums in the format in a single calendar year.
Jaiswal also made his ODI debut recently after featuring against England in Nagpur earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Kerala and Gujarat will face off in the other Ranji Trophy 2024-25 semi-final in Ahmedabad,
Kerala saw off Jammu and Kashmir in their quarter-final clash thanks to a one-run first innings lead. Royals pacer Yudhvir Singh scalped four wickets for J&K in the match.
