Prithvi Shaw returns but SKY absent as Mumbai select Shreyas Iyer to lead squad in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The Mumbai Cricket Team has finalized its 17-player squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with talented batsman Shreyas Iyer leading the team as captain. The prestigious tournament is scheduled to take place from November 23rd to December 15th.

The squad also included Prithvi Shaw, who was recently dropped from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad due to fitness issues, particularly regarding his weight. Shaw was reportedly 'overweight' and wasn't regularly attending team training sessions. An official from Mumbai Cricket Association told PTI, "You have to look at his fitness and his running when he is on the field. The MCA has a rich history and there cannot be exceptions for a certain player."

Shaw has represented India in five Tests, six ODIs and one T20Is for India, but a spot in the squad seems out of reach in recent times. In the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy, Shaw only managed 7, 12, 1 and 39*. The MCA named 29-year-old opener Akhil Herwadkar as Shaw's replacement in that squad.

The roster also includes Ajinkya Rahane, who captained Mumbai in the first half of the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Suryakumar Yadav has not been included in the squad, as he reportedly won't be available for the first few matches due to personal reasons. He was led Team India to a 2-1 win in South Africa, in a three-match T20I series.

Iyer has been in sizzling form at the Ranji Trophy this season, scoring 452 runs at 90.40, alongwith two centuries. He hammered a quickfire 233-run knock of 228 balls against Odisha, followed by a 142-run knock of 190 balls against Maharashtra.

Tanush Kotian, who was part of India A's unofficial TEsts in Australia, has also been included. Even Shardul Thakur finds a spot in the squad.

Shreyas Iyer (c), Prithvi Shaw, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Jay Bista, Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Sairaj Patil, Hardik Tamore (wk), Aakash Anand (wk), Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, Tanush Kotian, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Royston Dias, Juned Khan