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Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar spent time motivating the Mumbai Ranji team on Wednesday as the 42-time champions gear up for their quarter-final match against Karnataka, beginning February 6 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Ground, BKC.
In a video shared by Mumbai Cricket Association on Instagram, Tendulkar was seen having a chat with the players in the dressing room. His interaction came at a crucial moment for Mumbai, who topped Elite Group D with four wins and three draws to enter the knockouts in confident form. Karnataka, meanwhile, sealed their quarter-final spot after a tense group-stage win over Punjab, setting up a high-profile contest between two traditional powerhouses of Indian domestic cricket. The match has been shifted to the MCA-BKC Ground with the iconic Wankhede Stadium unavailable due to its hosting of T20 World Cup matches from February 7 onwards. Mumbai will be led by India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who returns to captaincy after recovering from an injury sustained during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Thakur made his comeback as a bowler in Mumbai's final group match against Delhi and replaced his close friend Siddhesh Lad, who had captained the side in the previous drawn encounter. India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been included in the squad, adding significant firepower to Mumbai's batting. Jaiswal recently made himself available for domestic duty after international commitments, featuring in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In first-class cricket for Mumbai, the left-hander has been outstanding, scoring 1,086 runs in 11 matches at an average of 60.33, including five centuries. Mumbai will be chasing a record-extending 43rd Ranji Trophy title as they begin their knockout campaign on home soil. Last week, Tendulkar had also interacted virtually with the Indian Under-19 team ahead of their must-win clash against Pakistan in the ICC Under-19 World Cup being held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. India U19 defeated Pakistan U19 by 58 runs in that match to secure a place in the semi-final. Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad: Shardul Thakur (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Omkar Tarmale, Divyesh Saxena and Suryansh Shedge. (ANI)
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