Prithvi Shaw to Face Former Team Mumbai in Maharashtra Warm-Up Match

Prithvi Shaw is set to play his first match against his former team, Mumbai, after moving to Maharashtra for the 2025–26 season. The three-day practice match will take place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association International Stadium in Pune from October 7 to 9. The fixture is part of both teams’ preparations for the upcoming Ranji Trophy campaign, with free entry for fans announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

This move is expected to attract a large number of local cricket enthusiasts eager to witness Shaw’s return to domestic action, and his first outing against his old team. Both teams have a good mix of experienced players. Maharashtra will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad and also features the seasoned all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, who has earlier played for Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. Mumbai, the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions, will be captained by Shardul Thakur, who has now taken charge as their full-time red-ball skipper.

Prithvi Shaw Faces Former Team as Maharashtra Meet Mumbai in Practice Match

However, Shreyas Iyer will miss the match and the start of the season because of a back injury. The injury had already kept him out of recent India A and West Indies Test games. His absence is a big blow for Mumbai as they look to begin their domestic campaign on a strong note.

Mumbai are in Elite Group D and will start their Ranji Trophy season against Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar from October 15 to 18. The final team for the season will be announced after the practice match, likely around October 10 or 11. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, slotted in Elite Group B, will open their season against reigning runner-ups Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram from October 15 to 18.

The practice match against Mumbai will serve as a key opportunity for the team to test their best combinations and assess players' form ahead of a long domestic campaign for the 2025-26 season.

Mumbai Squad: Shardul Thakur (c), Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Suved Parkar, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand, Hardik Tamore, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Irfan Umair, Sylvester D’Souza, Royston Dias

Maharashtra Squad: Prithvi Shaw, Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankeet Bawane (c), Saurabh Nawale (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Vicky Ostwal, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Pradeep Dhade, Hitesh Walunj, Mandar Bhandari (wk), Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Rajwardhan Hangargekar, Rajneesh Gurbani.

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