Mumbai Announce Ranji Squad: The Mumbai Cricket Association has announced its probables for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, and as expected, all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been named captain of the side. Ajinkya Rahane had earlier confirmed that he would no longer continue as skipper of the Mumbai Ranji team, making way for a new leader this season.
Shardul Named Captain After Ajinkya Rahane’s exit
Once Rahane stepped down, there was speculation that Shreyas Iyer could take over the red-ball captaincy. After all, he has already been leading the white-ball team. But Iyer recently decided to take a six-month break from red-ball cricket, leaving the MCA to turn to Shardul.
This will be Shardul’s first time leading a first-class side. He did get a taste of captaincy last season when he led Mumbai in two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but the Ranji role will be a much bigger responsibility.
Sarfaraz Khan makes his comeback
Mumbai fans also have reason to cheer with Sarfaraz Khan returning to action. The batter has not played competitive cricket since May and missed out on the Duleep Trophy and the India A vs Australia A series due to injury and fitness struggles.
Determined to make a comeback, Sarfaraz worked on his fitness and managed to shed 17 kilograms after being dropped from the Indian team. Though he was not picked for the India vs West Indies Test series in October, he will finally get his chance to shine again in the Ranji season.
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Mumbai’s mix of experience and youth
The squad also shows Mumbai’s focus on youth, with youngsters like Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi getting their opportunities. Alongside senior names such as Ajinkya Rahane and Siddhesh Lad, the balance between experienced players and emerging talent could prove vital this season.
Mumbai Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Squad:
Shardul Thakur (c), Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Akhil Herwadkar, Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Siddhesh Lad, Suved Parkar, Suryansh Shedge, Akash Parkar, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester Dsouza, Irfan Umair, Roystan Dias, Pratik Mishra, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Prasad Pawar (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Atharva Ankolekar, Ishan Mulchandani.
Shardul Thakur’s India setback
On the national stage, Shardul Thakur recently had a tough time in the India vs England series, played in July and August. He couldn’t make much of an impact with either bat or ball in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
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After his disappointing run, he was left out of India’s squad for the upcoming home series against the West Indies. Now, as Mumbai captain, he’ll be aiming to prove himself again and make a strong case for a comeback ahead of India’s home series against South Africa.
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