T20 World Cup-bound India Batter Shreyas Iyer Joins Mumbai For Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 – Reports

Star India National Cricket Team batter Shreyas Iyer has joined Team Mumbai in Rajkot for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022, as per a report in Cricbuzz.

The 27-year-old Iyer, who performed brilliantly in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against South Africa, is part of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 travelling reserves along with Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi and Shardul Thakur.

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The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 began on October 16 with the group stage games. The Super 12 round will begin on October 22 and the final is set to take place on November 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In their campaign opener, Rohit Sharma-led India National Cricket Team will lock horns with Babar Azam-led Pakistan National Cricket Team on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Talking about Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic cricket heavyweights Mumbai have not exactly fared well over the last few years in the tournament and they are yet to seal a SMAT championship.

Currently, Mumbai are at the No.1 spot on the Elite Group A points table in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 with 4 wins in 4 games. Their next three games are against Rajasthan on October 18, against Railways on October 20, and against Uttarakhand on October 22. Star India batter Shreyas Iyer is reportedly available for the selection in the game against Rajasthan.

Mumbai Takes Special Permission From The BCCI To Accommodate Shreyas Iyer In The Team

Shreyas Iyer, who sought permission from the BCCI to join the World Cup squad late, will be an unofficial 16th member of Team Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and special permission has been taken by the Mumbai Cricket Association from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to accommodate the star middle-order batter in the squad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told Mumbai Cricket Association that 16 players are allowed in the squad, but only 15 players can be part of the dugout during the games.

With the inclusion of Iyer to the team, Suryansh Shedge, who had earlier replaced Shardul Thakur in the side, will be the designated 16th member and will sit out of the dugout.

Meanwhile, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, who missed the last two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games against Assam and Vidarbha after twisting his ankle during the game against Madhya Pradesh, is all set to return to action in the next game, as per the same report in Cricbuzz.

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Covid-19 Positive Players Allowed To Play WC Games, No Covid-driven Restrictions Imposed On Teams – Reports