For the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season opening against Jammu & Kashmir, which is set for October 15-18 in Srinagar, Mumbai has selected Shardul Thakur as captain.
Ajinkya Rahane resigned as the team’s leader prior to the upcoming season. As the 42-time Ranji winners get ready for a fresh campaign in Elite Group D, the squad announcement features both noteworthy additions and noticeable absences.
Mumbai wants to recover from their five-wicket loss to Jammu & Kashmir in the previous season. The team’s placement in Elite Group D, which includes Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Pondicherry, sets the ground for a fierce league campaign.
Thakur’s appointment as captain signifies a change in Mumbai’s leadership. Along with Sarfaraz Khan, Rahane, who captained the team the previous season, is still a vital element of the 16-man roster. The team is further strengthened by all-rounder Shivam Dube and Musheer Khan, who is back after missing the majority of the previous campaign due to a car accident.
The inclusion of former India U-19 captain and Mumbai and CSK opener Ayush Mhatre in the squad adds depth in the top order. These choices strike a balance in Mumbai’s team composition by combining young talent with experience.
Shreyas Iyer, one of the most notable absences, is not playing for the team since he is taking a vacation from red-ball cricket due to back problems. Suryakumar Yadav, who participated in the previous season’s semifinal, is also not present, as is Prithvi Shaw, another regular who moved to Maharashtra for the current season.
Shivam Dube’s presence strengthens Mumbai’s all-around possibilities because he is versatile with the bat and the ball. It is anticipated that his presence will help the team remain balanced and flexible in a variety of match scenarios.
Given that Mumbai lost by five wickets in the previous meeting, they would be thinking about their recent head-to-head record against Jammu & Kashmir. The team will try to reverse that outcome in the opener by utilising its expertise and recent additions.
With the completed roster, Mumbai will look to build on their status as the most successful side in the tournament’s history and get off to a solid start in the Ranji Trophy campaign.
Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy:
Shardul Thakur (c), Ayush Mhatre, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Siddhesh Lad, Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester D’Souza, Irfan Umair, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Royston Dias.