Ranji Trophy: Mumbai takes on Tamil Nadu in the semifinals, with Shreyas Iyer in the spotlight

<p>Out of style When India’s batter Shreyas Iyer returns to domestic play on Saturday, when the Ranji Trophy semifinal pits record 41-time champion Mumbai against Tamil Nadu, he will be driven to make a statement and provide a timely reminder of his skill set.</p>
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<p>Iyer, who was cut from the Indian Test team and removed from the BCCI’s contractual player list after he withdrew from the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal citing back and groin issues, has fully healed to go to Mumbai for the pivotal match.</p>
<p>Iyer would be crucial to Mumbai’s plan, particularly while facing Tamil Nadu’s strong spin bowling, which has been one of their main tools this year.</p>
<p>Iyer and company will have a fantastic chance to make an impression against the top two wicket-takers, left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram (41), and skipper R Sai Kishore (47 wickets).</p>
<p>Mumbai’s all-around strength against Tamil Nadu’s disciplined and relentless spinners and their big-scoring batsmen in the semifinals promises to be an exciting match.</p>
<p>Mumbai has advanced to the semifinals thanks to timely contributions from a number of players, with the exception of captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has only produced one fifty from six games.</p>
<p>Mumbai’s bowlers share the job very effectively, as they find themselves in the last four despite none of them even being in the top 10 on the list of wicket-takers, Mohit Avasthi (32).</p>
<p>Tamil Nadu and Mumbai are both coming off strong quarterfinal victories.</p>
<p>Mumbai took a slim lead because to young Musheer Khan’s unbroken 203, but it quickly grew to an unassailable 605 thanks to a historic performance by tailenders Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande against Baroda. While Saurashtra, the reigning champions, were halted by Tamil Nadu.</p>
<p>The fact that Tamil Nadu has bowled out every opponent twice in every Ranji match this season, regardless of the result, is a notable aspect of their outstanding season.</p>
<p>Tamil Nadu and Mumbai have each only lost one game. Mumbai’s close loss to Uttar Pradesh turned out to be little more than a mild setback, while Tamil Nadu just started to reach their finest form after losing to Gujarat on the road in their season opener.</p>
<p>It is to be seen whether N Jagadeesan (821 runs) can find his rhythm again, since previously in the competition he had consecutive scores of 245 not out and 321. In his previous seven innings, the right-hander has failed to reach fifty runs.</p>
<p>But Baba Indrajith’s (686 runs) amazing consistency has worked wonders for Tamil Nadu; in the previous three encounters, the 29-year-old has scored 80, 187, 98, and 48 runs.</p>
<p>Washington Sundar, an all-rounder who was cut from the Indian Test team, has also helped improve Tamil Nadu.</p>
<p>Mumbai’s strong batting lineup, including all-rounders Shardul Thakur and even Shams Mulani in the lower order, together with Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen Lalwani at the top, could help the hosts put up a huge total on what is predicted to be a batting-friendly-surface.</p>
<p>If Jagadeesan, Indrajith, and Pradosh Ranjan Paul are Tamil Nadu’s core players—seamer Sandeep Warrier has given the spin combo of Sai Kishore and Ajith sufficient support—they must continue to play to their strengths.</p>
<p>Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Musheer Khan, Prasad Pawar (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Aditya Dhumal, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Royston Dias, and Dhawal Kulkarni in the Mumbai Tamil Nadu Rangi Trophy: Full Squads.</p>
<p><strong>Tamil Nadu:</strong> Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Vimal Khumar, Balasubramaniam Sachin, Washington Sundar, Sandeep Warrier, Trilok Nag, T Natarajan, Mohammed Mohammed, S Ajith Ram; R Sai Kishore (c), Pradosh Ranjan Paul (vc), Baba Indrajith, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Suresh Lokeshwar (wk).</p>