Suryakumar snubbed, Mhatre named vice-captain for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy opener
Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was a notable omission from Mumbai's squad for their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opening fixture. The 42-time Ranji champions also decided to name U19 World Cup-winning captain Ayush Mhatre as the vice-captain for the tie.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was included in Mumbai’s 16-member squad for the match as he looks to amp up his preparations ahead of the New Zealand tour later this month. Mumbai will begin their campaign against Chandigarh in a four-day clash, starting from October 11. The match is likely to be held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Mumbai and Chandigarh are part of Elite Group D, which also features Haryana, Rajasthan, Railways, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.WHY SURYAKUMAR WAS OMITTED?
According to a Cricbuzz report, Suryakumar sent a message to the selectors, expressing his desire to be part of the squad. However, the selection committee decided not to pick him for the tie. The same report also states that selectors see Mhatre as a potential captain for the future, with the 19-year-old’s leadership credentials making him a natural fit for their long-term plans. Mhatre, who guided India to the Under-19 World Cup title, has featured in just 13 first-class matches over the past two years.
Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar revealed the reason behind Suryakumar's omission, saying that they wanted the former India captain to get into the rhythm of red-ball cricket first and then return to the side.
“He is obviously a big-match player and a proven performer for Mumbai. We just want him to get into rhythm by playing a few red-ball matches. Surya 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,” Pawar told Cricbuzz.
Suryakumar has not featured in competitive cricket since the Mumbai T20 League in June, following his removal as India’s T20I captain despite guiding the side to the T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
Another name missing from the list is former captain Shardul Thakur, who is currently recovering from a finger injury.
Sarfaraz Khan is another notable name in the squad after turning out for Rest of India in their Irani Cup triumph over Jammu and Kashmir. Shams Mulani has also been included following his influential performances for India A in their two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A, which India A won 1-0.MUMBAI SQUAD FOR CHANDIGARH CLASH
Siddhesh Lad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (VC),Divyansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Onkar Tarmale.- Ends
