Ayush Mhatre named Mumbai vice-captain as Suryakumar omitted for Ranji opener

Mumbai appointed Ayush Mhatre vice-captain to Siddhesh Lad and left Suryakumar Yadav out of the squad for the Ranji Trophy season-opener against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium, with the selections announced on October 5, 2026 ahead of the match starting October 11.

Mhatre, who captained India Under-19 to a World Cup victory, has been given a leadership role as Mumbai aim to blend experienced players with younger talent. "The selection committee unanimously has gone with experienced Siddhesh Lad as the captain for the season. Along with a senior, we have planned to groom a junior in Ayush Mhatre as the vice-captain. He has led India U-19 to the World Cup win, is a smart cricketer and is in excellent nick," Pawar said after an hour-long meeting, also attended by captain Lad, head coach Omkar Salvi and cricket advisor Dilip Vengsarkar.

Suryakumar Yadav, identified in the announcement as India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, made himself available but was not selected for the opening fixture as Mumbai chose to prioritise opportunities for younger players while addressing his lack of recent red-ball cricket. "Surya is available but it was thought to go with the youngsters for the time being. He is obviously a big-match player and a proven performer for Mumbai. We just want to get into rhythm by playing a few red-ball matches," Pawar said. "Suryakumar hasn’t played a red-ball match for the last 18 months, so we want him to have a few games under his belt and then he can get into the team."

Mumbai will also be without Shardul Thakur, who captained the side last season; the lead pacer suffered a slight fracture to his right middle finger during a training session and is expected to miss at least the first two matches. The selection panel noted the injury in its announcements and does not expect him to be available immediately.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is included in the XI for the season-opener and his availability was welcomed by the chief selector. "It is very good that Yashasvi is playing the season-opener. He also needs game-time and the team will also benefit," Pawar said. The squad named for the opening match reads: Siddhesh Lad (Capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (Vice-capt.), Divyaansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Onkar Tarmale.

Mumbai begin their Ranji Trophy campaign against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium from October 11, with Shardul Thakur expected to miss at least the first two matches and Suryakumar Yadav not included in the squad for that opener.