Suryakumar Yadav anticipates favorable Eden Gardens pitch for Ranji quarter-final
What's the story
Mumbai's star player Suryakumar Yadav has shown optimism toward the Eden Gardens pitch ahead of their 2024/25 Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana.
The match will start on Saturday, February 8.
The match was originally scheduled to be held at the Lali Stadium in Haryana, but the venue was shifted to Kolkata due to unforeseen circumstances by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Player insights
Yadav's return to Mumbai team and connection with Eden Gardens
Notably, Yadav has recently rejoined the Mumbai team after leading the Indian T20I team to a 4-1 series victory over England.
He has played just one match this season as part of Mumbai's title defense, and was accompanied by Shivam Dube.
Yadav shares a special bond with Eden Gardens, having represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2014 to 2018.
Pitch expectations
Yadav's confidence in Eden Gardens pitch
During training sessions before the match, Yadav had shown confidence in the Eden Gardens pitch.
He told Indiatoday.in, "Eden Gardens never disappoints me," adding that "The wicket at Eden Gardens is very good for batters."
This statement highlights his expectations of a batter-friendly pitch in the upcoming Ranji Trophy quarter-final clash against Haryana.
Team morale
Mumbai's confidence and venue change reasons
Mumbai's captain Ajinkya Rahane also echoed Yadav's confidence about the upcoming game.
He said, "We are confident about the game. Every player in the team is crucial."
BCCI attributed the decision to change the match venue to 'unavoidable circumstances.'
Reportedly, this was done to avoid any weather disruption in Lahli, as winter conditions sometimes affect play.
Team performance
Mumbai's performance and team composition for quarter-final
In the last round, Mumbai finished second in the Group A points table despite an unexpected loss to Jammu and Kashmir.
For the quarterfinal, Rahane will be bolstered by Yadav and Dube. Both the players recently featured in the recently-concluded T20I series against England.
However, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal won't be featuring in this important match.
Opponent outlook
Haryana's performance and team composition for quarter-final
Haryana topped the Group C points table, winning three matches and drawing four.
They went unbeaten in the group stage, finishing with one point more than second-placed Kerala.
The Haryana team will be led by seam-bowling sensation Anshul Kamboj in the upcoming clash against Mumbai at Eden Gardens.
Information
A look at the Mumbai squad
Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Amogh Bhatkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D'Souza, Royston Dias, Atharva Ankolekar, and Harsh Tanna.