Ajinkya Rahane’s decision to quit the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team opened up a leadership vaccum in the star-studded side who are the most successful domestic team in Indian cricket history having won the premier first-class competition 42 times.
The Mumbai team is full of stars with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, alongside upcoming stars such as Ayush Mhatre and Angrish Raghuvanshi in their line-up. Shreyas led Mumbai in white-ball cricket last, including the victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) campaign as well as the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) and emerged as a top choice for the role. Similarly, Jaiswal decided to make a U-turn on his decision to leave for Goa, where he had been offered captaincy.
However, as per a report by the Indian Express, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has chosen Shardul as the captain for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The all-rounder has also been named as the captain of the West Zone side for the 2025 Duleep Trophy.
The published information reveals that MCA’s senior selection committee had a chat with Rahane over his successor before handing over the reins to Shardul.
The 33-year-old has been a key part of the Mumbai team over a long period of time and played an important role in their success with bat and ball.
Shardul also remains a part of the Indian test team, especially on overseas tours. He has played 13 Tests, 47 ODIs, and 25 T20Is for India in his career. Most recently, the Mumbai star was part of the Indian team for the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, where he played two games.
Ajinkya Rahane Set To Continue Playing
However, Rahane has confirmed that he will continue to be part of the Mumbai side as a player. In a recent interview, he had expressed his desire to play for the Indian team, having been out of the scheme of things for over two years.
“I still want to play Test cricket. I’m really passionate about playing Test cricket, and at this moment, I’m enjoying my cricket. Just here for a few days, I carried my trainers, my training clothes, so that I can keep myself fit. Our domestic season is starting, so the preparations have just begun,” said Rahane in an interaction with SKY SPORTS last month.
“See, for me, it’s all about focusing on the controllable things. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but again, there are things as a player I cannot control. I got no response. For me, as a player, what I can do is to keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game and give my best every time. I love playing Test cricket, I love playing red ball. And it’s a passion, it’s a love for the game that always keeps me going,” Rahane added.