Mumbai to start two-week camp in Bengaluru soon

KSCA’s ground at Alur

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions Mumbai will start a two-week preparation camp at Alur, in Bangalore from July 16.

It is learnt that Mumbai's chief selector Raju Kulkarni and his committee comprising Ravi Thakkar, Sanjay Patil, Jitendra Thackeray and Kiran Powar will pick around 30 players for the camp.

Karnataka and Mumbai will be aiming for major domestic titles in the upcoming season. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has allowed MCA to use their Alur cricket ground facility for the camp free of cost, saving the MCA a few lakhs.

Mumbai players always struggle to get good outdoor practice sessions and match practice because of heavy rains in July.

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KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, the former India left-arm spinner confirmed that his state association will not charge MCA for the cricketing facilities.

"We are not taking anything from MCA, except accommodation, which is a different issue. It is our privilege to have a Mumbai team in our campus. We have confirmed [the same] to MCA today.

Our [KSCA] consultant Makarand Waingankar requested for such an arrangement," Bhat told mid-day from Bangalore on Wednesday.

It is learnt that Mumbai head coach Omkar Salvi wants to put a lot of emphasis on team bonding during Alur camp, where players will play a few T20 as well as 90-over matches against Karnataka.