When they arrived in the Garden City towards the end of last month, 41-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai would have had a semi-final showdown against hosts Karnataka on their minds. As it has turned out, it’s a youthful Uttar Pradesh team that now stands between them and a place in the final of the country’s premier first-class competition, racing towards its denouement after a two-year gap.

Pace threat from UP

It’s debatable if Prithvi Shaw’s men will view Uttar Pradesh’s five-wicket defeat of Karnataka in last week’s quarter-final as a positive development. After all, Mumbai’s brand of cricket doesn’t revolve around focusing too much on the opposition. That said, they can’t ignore the pace threat UP possess in the five-day semi-final at the Just Cricket Academy ground from Tuesday, a threat bolstered by the inclusion in the squad of left-arm quick Mohsin Khan.