Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Jaiswal set to return as Mumbai and Goa battle to maintain perfect records

Much before his team-mates arrived at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground on a misty Tuesday morning, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the nets.

The session, which continued for about an hour, largely remained a closed-door affair, with no shutterbugs around, and, Jaiswal looked at ease as he took on the spinners and pacers.

Having missed out on the first three games of the Vijay Hazare Trophy while recovering from acute gastroenteritis, Jaiswal is set to be available for Mumbai’s next three to four games of the tournament, beginning with the one against Goa on Wednesday.

And, with the India international back in the mix, he is set to open the innings along with Angkrish Raghuvanshi, while Ishan Mulchandani could sit out. With three wins on the trot, Mumbai sits atop the points table, and will be hoping to keep the momentum going against Goa, before taking on domestic giants Maharashtra and Punjab. 

Mumbai’s bowling mentor and coach, Dhawal Kulkarni, made it clear that the team is taking things one game at a time, rather than thinking too far ahead.

“The team is looking good, the guys have been in a good frame of mind, and one can see the results. We have just asked the boys to think about what’s coming up immediately, rather than thinking about the future,” Kulkarni told  Sportstar, adding: “It’s always good to take things one game at a time…”

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With the BCCI making it mandatory for all India internationals to feature in domestic tournaments when not on national duty, Mumbai was boosted by the presence of Rohit Sharma in the first couple of games. And now, with Jaiswal available as well, the team management hopes that he will have a similar impact.

“This means a lot. Rohit coming in the side, playing a couple of games after a long time has really boosted the morale of the entire unit. And now, with Yashasvi coming back, and also other international pros expected in the next few games, it really boosts the morale of the entire unit,” Kulkarni said.

“Everyone looks to play with the international pros and try and learn from them…”

While there’s no clarity on when Ajinkya Rahane will join the team, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube are expected to feature in a couple of games in early January as Mumbai looks to keep the juggernaut rolling.

Goa, meanwhile, isn’t much bothered about the big names. Having remained unbeaten so far, Goa also has 12 points from three games, and captain Deepraj Gaonkar hopes to play to the team’s strength.

“We will play as we normally play. We won’t plan anything differently just because Mumbai has some star players,” Gaonkar told this publication.

With both teams buoying with confidence, fans expect a high-octane contest when the two teams meet in a crucial fixture.

Published on Dec 30, 2025