Fast-bowler Shardul Thakur has been named in the injury-marred Mumbai squad for the all-important Ranji Trophy 2016/17 quarter-final against Hyderabad. Thakur was first selected in the Indian team on the tour of West Indies but didn’t play a single match. He was called in as Mohammed Shami’s replacement for the fourth and fifth Test against England but is yet to make his Test debut.

Thakur’s return to the Mumbai team is a big boost as they’ll miss the services of senior bowler Dhawal Kulkarni, who has been ruled out of the crunch game due to an injury. Akhil Herwadkar has also been ruled out. Balwinder Singh Sandhu (jr.), Vijay Gohil and Praful Waghela have been included in the squad. Both Sandhu and Gohil were a part of the Mumbai squad in the practice game against New Zealand, which was played in September at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

The team’s success will mainly rely upon the senior players Abhishek Nayar, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, skipper Aditya Tare and Shardul Thakur. They’ll face Hyderabad at Raipur from December 23.

Mumbai’s Squad for Quarter final Against Hyderabad –

Aditya Tare (Captain), Abhishek Nayar, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Praful Waghela, Kevin D Almeida, Shardul Thakur, Balwinder Singh Sandhu (Jr), Tushar Deshpande, Royston Dias, Sufiyan Shaikh, Vijay Gohil, Akshay Girap and Eknath Kerkar.