Mumbai, June 16: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has announced an 18-member squad for a month-long development tour of the United Kingdom. The team features several promising young cricketers, including Musheer Khan and India U-19 World Cup-winning wicket-keeper batsman Abhigyan Kundu.
The tour will take place from June 20 to July 15 and is aimed at helping Mumbai's emerging players gain valuable experience in overseas conditions. The squad also includes well-known Mumbai domestic players such as Suved Parkar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi and Onkar Tarmale.
During the tour, the Mumbai side will play three two-day matches along with multiple one-day games against county second XI teams. The players are scheduled to face teams associated with Sussex, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Derbyshire, giving them a chance to compete against strong opposition in English conditions.
The MCA said the tour has been planned as a high-performance development programme designed to improve the players' skills and expose them to different playing environments. English conditions are often considered challenging because of the weather, pitch behaviour and swing-friendly conditions, making the tour an important learning opportunity for young cricketers.
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar is also expected to spend time with the squad during selected matches. His presence is likely to provide valuable guidance and motivation to the young players as they continue their development.
MCA President Ajinkya Naik said the purpose of the tour is not only to focus on results but also to help players grow by experiencing cricket outside their familiar surroundings. He added that such exposure plays an important role in preparing young cricketers for higher levels of the game in the future.
Mumbai squad for UK tour: Raza Nishad Mirza, Ayush Jethwa, Aayush Shete, Sylvester Dsouza, Suved Parkar, Arjun Gadoya, Musheer Khan, Manan Bhatt, Vedant Murkar, Abhigyan Kundu, Naman Pushpak, Atharva Kardile, Atharva Bhosale, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohit Avasthi, Karthik Kumar, Zaid Patankar and Onkar Tarmale.
