Master Blaster will be playing in the Ranji Trophy after a gap of over three years. According to a report in The Tribune, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan were included in the Mumbai squad to play against Railways in the Ranji Trophy league opener at the Wankhede Stadium here from November 2-5.
“both Tendulkar and Zaheer are gearing themselves up for the home Test series against England with the opening match scheduled at Ahmedabad from November 15. The team will be captained by Ajit Agarkar, a media release from Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Joint Secretary, Nitin Dalal, said today. Tendulkar will be playing for his home association after a gap of two seasons, having last represented Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh at Hyderabad in January 2009. Zaheer, meanwhile, played a couple of away games for Mumbai on his comeback trial to cricket after an injury lay-off last season,” says the report.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Sachin Tendulkar will make a rare appearance in domestic four-day cricket next week to gain match practice ahead of the home Test series against England.
“The 39-year-old, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, was named Friday in a 13-man Mumbai squad for a four-day Ranji Trophy match against Railways starting in Mumbai on November 2. Tendulkar, whose last Ranji appearance was in 2009, struggled in a home Test series against New Zealand in August-September when he scored just 63 runs in three innings,” says the report, adding that legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar even suggested during the second Test against New Zealand in Bangalore that Tendulkar's reflexes were on the slide after the batsman was bowled in all three innings.
Meanwhile according to a report in The Hindu, L. Balaji, who led Tamil Nadu to the final of the Ranji Trophy last season, has been retained captain by the State selectors for the opening Group B match against Odisha at Cuttack from November 2.
“The line-up includes R. Ashwin, India’s current lead spinner, and batting mainstay S. Badrinath, who was part of the national squad during its last Test series, against New Zealand. Dinesh Karthik, M. Vijay, and Abhinav Mukund are the others to have played at the highest level. Vijay and Mukund, however, face the possibility of a week’s continuous cricket, for they are in the India ‘A’ squad scheduled to play the touring England side from October 30 to November 1 in Mumbai,” says the report, adding that the new faces in the 16-man team are seamer M. Mohammed, who was among the wickets in the Buchi Babu and Moin-ud-Dowla tournaments, leg-spinner M. Ashwin, and reserve wicketkeeper R. Rohith.
