"Because of the BCCI's decision, we had to include Test players": Sanjay Patil

Mumbai batters Yashasvi Jaiswal (left), Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer during a Ranji Trophy match v Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA-BKC ground on Friday. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Chief selector Sanjay Patil has admitted that it was a mistake to drop promising youngsters like Ayush Mhatre and Angkrish Raghuvanshi to include current Test players for Mumbai's crucial Ranji Trophy league game against Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) last week. Rohit Sharma and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal were the two current Test players in the Mumbai XI which also included skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur in the defending champions' five-wicket loss to unfancied J&K.

Upset team combination

"At the start of the season, we selectors decided to promote youngsters between the age group of 21 and 24. We have invested in youngsters like Ayush, Himanshu Singh, Angkrish, Suryansh Shedge and Atharva Ankolekar, who performed very well in local tournaments. And we started the season very well with these youngsters performing.

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Sanjay Patil

"But it was a mistake to drop these youngsters, neglecting them in the last match against J&K. They didn't get a chance even though they are in good form. Because of the board's [BCCI] decision, we had to include Test players in the team. We had to leave out our youngsters and that affected the Mumbai team combination," Patil told mid-day after a selection committee meeting on Tuesday to pick the 16-member team for their last Elite Group ‘A' league match against Meghalaya starting on Thursday, a must-win game for the hosts.

As expected, India's Test and ODI skipper Rohit, Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, who all were part of the Mumbai team in the last game against J&K, are not included as they will be joining Team India for the ODI series against England starting on February 6 at Nagpur.

Mhatre, 17, who scored 408 runs in five games of his debut first-class season, along with Shedge, Raghuvanshi and Ankolekar, helped Mumbai U-23 secure an innings and 226-run win over Bihar in the CK Nayudu Trophy at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana in Kandivli on Monday.

‘Don't get disheartened'

"I don't want these youngsters to get disheartened. As they are back in the team, they must grab this opportunity, perform well and help Mumbai to win this game [v Meghalaya] with a bonus point. It will help them find a place in the Duleep Trophy team as well as enhance Mumbai's chances of qualifying for the knockouts," remarked Patil.

The Rahane-led team, who are placed third with 22 points, need to register a big win with a bonus point against Meghalaya. Yet, their place in the knockouts depends on the outcome of the J&K (29 points) versus Baroda (27 points) game.

Mumbai squad for Meghalaya game
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Amogh Bhatkal, Siddhesh Lad, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D'Souza, Royston Dias, Shreyas Gurav, Atharva Ankolekar.