Mumbai get Jaiswal boost in SMAT push

Mumbai's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) campaign will receive a major boost with the inclusion of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team. Fresh from a century against South Africa in the third and final ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the India opener has consented to turn out for the domestic side in the National T20 Championship.

Jaiswal's availability has been confirmed by a senior Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official. "He has made himself available for the SMAT campaign," the official told Cricbuzz on Sunday.

Jaiswal last appeared in the SMAT during the 2023-24 quarter-final and could not take part in the previous edition due to national commitments. The 23-year-old has played 28 matches in the tournament, scoring 648 runs in 26 innings at an average of 27 and a strike rate of 136.42, with three half-centuries.

There is, however, no clarity yet on whether Rohit Sharma will turn up for the SMAT. Although there have been reports suggesting his participation, MCA officials were unable to confirm it. "He has not confirmed it yet," an MCA official said. Like Jaiswal, Rohit was also part of India's ODI squad.

Defending champions Mumbai, led by Shardul Thakur, are currently playing in Lucknow. They sit top of the standings in Elite Group A with five wins from six games and have one league match remaining, versus Odisha, to be played on December 8.

Two teams from each of the four Elite Groups will advance to the Super League, which will be followed by a final between the top two sides. The Super League fixtures will be played across two venues in Pune on December 12, 14 and 16, followed by the title clash on December 18.