(Source X)
Suryakumar Yadav is set to join Mumbai in their Buchi Babu clash against TNCA XI starting Tuesday, with hopes of reviving his Test career.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer, also included in Mumbai’s lineup, will be eager to make an impact in this pre-season fixture, having last appeared in a Test match back in February.
Sarfaraz Khan will lead the star-studded Mumbai team in the Buchi Babu match, aiming to secure a spot in the full-strength Test squad for the upcoming home season, despite a promising start against England earlier this year.
Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, who missed various parts of the five-match series against England, are expected to return for the two-Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19 in Chennai.
In the third round of the Buchi Babu Tournament, the spotlight will be on Suryakumar Yadav. Recently, he captained India to victory in his debut T20 series. Although not currently in the ODI plans, the 33-year-old is keen to excel in all three formats, with his only Test appearance so far coming against Australia in February 2023.
Since then, Suryakumar Yadav has thrived in white-ball cricket and recently took on the T20 International captaincy for India.
The Buchi Babu match will serve primarily as a warm-up for Suryakumar and others, as they prepare for the Duleep Trophy, which kicks off on September 5.
Suryakumar’s last First-Class appearance was in the Duleep Trophy last year, where he struggled, accumulating just 71 runs in four innings at an average of 17.75, with a highest score of 52. His West Zone team, under Priyank Panchal’s captaincy, lost the final to South Zone by 75 runs.
Alongside Suryakumar, Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer will also be key players in the Mumbai squad. Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year, has shown promise with the bat, scoring 200 runs in five innings at an average of 50.00, including three half-centuries.
For Shreyas Iyer, the longest format has yet to yield significant success after 14 Tests. Since January 2023, he has scored only 187 runs in 12 innings, averaging a mere 17.00, with a highest score of 35.
As a result, while Sarfaraz Khan heads into the Buchi Babu Tournament with relative ease, the upcoming domestic season is more critical for Iyer, who will captain Team D in the Duleep Trophy.
Mumbai’s opponents, TNCA XI, will be led by R Sai Kishore, who was the top wicket-taker in last season’s Ranji Trophy.
