Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 13: In what promises to be a thrilling start to the Ranji Trophy season, Jammu & Kashmir will host 42-time champions Mumbai at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium on October 15. While Mumbai’s illustrious legacy makes them favourites on paper, recent encounters tell a different story — J&K have defeated Mumbai twice at their home ground, including a memorable win last season.
The encounter is expected to be a battle of nerves on a green-top wicket offering pace and bounce. J&K will rely on a strong core led by Shubham Khajuria, Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad and Yawar Hassan, along with an exciting pool of youngsters like Vivrant Sharma and Qamran Iqbal. Their pace battery, featuring Umran Malik and Aquib Nabi, adds firepower to the attack.
Mumbai, however, brings depth and experience with Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube and captain Shardul Thakur at the helm. Their pace-spin balance could be vital on a lively surface.
With both teams boasting match-winners and the home side hungry for a statement win, fans can expect a tightly contested match that sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. It’s a classic David vs Goliath — but with a modern twist.
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