Hyderabad will lock horns with heavyweight Mumbai in an all-important Ranji Trophy encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, starting Thursday.

The home side will be bolstered by the presence of star pacer Mohammed Siraj, who returns from international duty to make his first Ranji Trophy appearance of the season. Siraj will also captain Hyderabad for the first time in his career, with G. Rahul Singh as his deputy.

Mumbai sits atop Group D with 24 points from five matches, courtesy of three wins and two draws to round up a fairly dominant season so far.

Hyderabad’s fortunes have fluctuated, in contrast, as it stands fourth with 13 points, following one win, one loss, and three draws. Playing at home, Hyderabad will be without key batters Tanmay Agarwal and K. Nitesh Reddy, both sidelined due to injuries. Pranav Varma and P. Nitish Reddy have been drafted into the squad as replacements.

Mumbai, meanwhile, will be missing several high-profile names, including Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube. Ajinkya Rahane, who relinquished captaincy earlier this season, is also unavailable for the fixture.

The 42-time champion will also be without Tanush Kotian, who was the Player-of-the-Tournament in Mumbai’s last Ranji Trophy triumph in 2023-24, after the all-rounder picked up a hand injury.

Off-spinner Himanshu Singh has been named as his replacement.

Siddhesh Lad, with 530 runs at an average of 88.33, and Shams Mulani, who has claimed 28 wickets at 21.10, have been Mumbai’s standout performers, while Rahul Radesh (382 runs) and Tanay Thyagarajan (23 wickets) have led Hyderabad’s charge.

On a ground known for its batting-friendly conditions, the clash sets up as a test of depth and discipline.

With the wicket expected to assist the pacers, Hyderabad will hope Siraj can tilt the balance against Mumbai as it looks to revive its campaign.