The Ranji Trophy season has been ongoing, the knockout rounds have begun and several international players are preparing for red-ball cricket ahead of their international Test series. Mumbai will face Karnataka in the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy season. This will be a sensational clash, with both teams showing excellent form heading into the game.

Mumbai have recalled two of their best cricketers ahead of the important tournament starting on February 6, with captain Shardul Thakur returning to the squad along with left-arm opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The former was injured during the Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Mumbai against Maharashtra in Jaipur on January 3, 2026 and missed two matches.

Yashasvi Jaiswal returns after many years

Jaiswal, on the other hand, last played an official match on January 6, 2026, representing Mumbai in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur. However, he missed the last two games of the Ranji Trophy Group D elite series against Hyderabad and Delhi, with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) unhappy with Jaiswal’s decision to skip the last two group matches.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal last played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in the first week of November 2025 against Rajasthan in Jaipur, scoring 67 and 156 runs in two innings respectively. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been absent from domestic red-ball cricket since then. The return of the opener will definitely boost the team’s confidence.

Can Siddesh Lad shine against Karnataka?

Apart from him, star batsman Siddhesh Lad is going through a purple period as he has hit five centuries in the current season. He will play a key role in the knockout match against Karnataka. Apart from him, star batsman Sarfaraz Khan, Mushir Khan, Shams Mullani, Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande are the other players in the Mumbai team for the quarter-finals.

Former Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been left out of the squad. The Indian veteran last played in the Ranji Trophy against Himachal Pradesh in Mumbai from November 8 to 10, 2025. In that game, he performed poorly and only scored two points.

Mumbai still finding path against Karnataka

Mumbai went undefeated in the group stage, recording four wins and three draws, and advanced to the knockout rounds as the group leader. Karnataka, on the other hand, lost one of their group games and are second on the points table. They have a new captain in Devdutt Paddikal replacing Mayank Agarwal.

The two teams met in the past 5 times, Karnataka has the upper hand with 3 wins and 2 draws. This was their first encounter since 2020, when Karnataka won by 5 wickets. Mumbai will be looking for a change at this time, remembering their record.

Mumbai team:

Shardul Thakur (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Aakash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasth, Omkar Tarmale, Divyesh Saxena and Suryansh Shedge.

Also read: RCB star Devdutt Padikkal named Karnataka captain, KL Rahul returns to Ranji Trophy