Mumbai choose BKC over Wankhede for Railways clash

Mumbai have opted for Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) over Wankhede Stadium as the venue for their home fixture against Railways in the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy, beginning November 15. Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit said BKC was a "better option" from a result perspective. Mumbai have played three games at home so far this season, winning a game each at the Wankhede and BKC.

"We played against Tamil Nadu [at BKC], and we thought it was a better option for us," Pandit told ESPNcricinfo. "Whichever venue you play, ultimately you look for results. Probably we thought that BKC will be better option for us. We played a good game [against Tamil Nadu]. More than just getting the result for Mumbai it's a game which you can play [in a] much better way. It was a decision taken by the management - the captain, manager, everybody."

Mumbai's desperation for an outright win is understandable given their position at the top of a congested table in Group B, where only four points separate them from fifth-placed Tamil Nadu. While they picked up three points from their previous game against Uttar Pradesh at the Wankhede, the pitch produced nearly 1200 runs for 21 wickets over four days.

The Wankhede surface recently came under the scanner when India team director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach B Arun allegedly lashed out at its curator Sudhir Naik at the conclusion of the final ODI between India and South Africa, that saw the visitors rack up 438.

Pandit, however, denied there was any dissatisfaction with the Wankhede pitch. "People misunderstand us that [we have switched venues] because there is no result or something. Nobody should forget that we played against Punjab [at the Wankhede], we got outright result there," said Pandit. "We played this match [against Uttar Pradesh] and we thought why not play at a different venue. Probably the team has the confidence that we will be able to play much better cricket there. It is a combination of factors."