Yashasvi Jaiswal available to play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai

India Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and coach Omkar Salvi that he will be available for the team’s next Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir to be played in Mumbai on January 23. Jaiswal, with a century and half century, was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable tour of Australia.

“He has informed Mumbai coach Omkar Salvi that he is available for the next round of the Ranji Trophy. The selection committee will pick the Mumbai team in the coming days,” a MCA official said.

Rohit Sharma trained with the Mumbai squad on Tuesday and if he makes himself available for selection then Mumbai will field a star-studded line up that will also include Ajinkya Rahane.

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Jaiswal isn’t part of the T20 squad for the five-match series against England that begins from January 22. Jaiswal is set to join the Mumbai team practice session at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

Rohit was seen batting alongside Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy captain Ajinkya Rahane. Rohit’s last appearance for Mumbai was in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. Rohit is yet to confirm if he will be available for selection for the game against Jammu & Kashmir.

In February last year, the BCCI wrote to top cricketers, centrally contracted as well as India A players, that not participating in domestic cricket would have ‘severe implications’.

In the letter, the then BCCI secretary Jay Shah has also stated that “domestic cricket forms the backbone of Indian cricket and serves as the feeder line to Team India”.

Rohit with 35 runs in 5 innings in Australia has been under pressure. He also stood down from the final Test in Sydney because of poor form.

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Sarfaraz Khan injured

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who was part of the team that toured Australia but didn’t get a game, has informed the MCA that he has a rib fracture and won’t be available for selection. The exact extent of the injury is not clear.

“He has injured one of his ribs and he has informed us that he won’t be playing the next Ranji Trophy game. As he is contracted with the BCCI, the National Cricket Academy will do his medical assessment and inform us,” the MCA official added.

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