Former captain of the Indian T20 team Suryakumar Yadav wished to play for the Mumbai team throughout the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, but he was not included in the squad. There were many discussions about Suryakumar's possible return to dominant cricket, as he had not participated in 'red ball' format games for a long time.
Suryakumar wanted to be available to play for Mumbai for the entire Ranji season to maintain his form in dominant cricket. Nevertheless, his name is absent from the squad announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association. The last Ranji Trophy match Suryakumar played took place in February 2025 against Vidarbha in Nagpur.
According to Cricbuzz, Suryakumar sent a message to the selectors expressing his desire to be included in the team. However, the selection committee decided not to include him in this match. The same report notes that selector Ayush Mhatre is being considered as a potential future captain. The leadership qualities of this 19-year-old player make him a suitable option for long-term plans. Mhatre, who won the India U-19 World Cup under his guidance, has played only 13 first-class matches in the last two years.
Sidhesh Lad has been appointed as captain, and Ayush Mhatre has been given the duties of vice-captain. Mumbai's chief selector Rajesh Pawar explained the reason for excluding Suryakumar from the squad by stating that they wanted the former Indian captain to first regain rhythm in 'red ball' cricket before returning to the team. Pawar told Cricbuzz: 'He is clearly a big-match player and has always performed well for Mumbai. We just want him to play a few 'red ball' matches to regain his rhythm, and then he can join the team.' He added that 'Suryakumar has not played in 'red ball' format matches for the last 18 months.'
Earlier, the Indian team won the T20 World Cup in 2026 under Suryakumar Yadav's leadership, after which he was dropped from the Indian team. The Mumbai team is one of the most successful teams in the country in the Ranji Trophy, having won the trophy 42 times. Consequently, the absence of such an experienced batsman as Suryakumar became a topic of discussion.
Mumbai will begin its tournament journey with a four-day match against Chandigarh, which starts on October 11. There is a possibility that this match will be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Mumbai and Chandigarh are in Group A Elite, which also includes Haryana, Rajasthan, Railways, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand.
The Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad includes: Sidhesh Lad (captain), Ayush Mhatre (vice-captain), Shams Mulani, Yashvi Singh Yaswal, Tanush Kotian, Atharv Ankolkar, Divyansh Saxena, Tushar Deshpande, Mushir Khan, Mohit Awasthi, Sarfaraz Khan, Sylvester Disuja, Suved Parkar, Omkar Tarmale, Akash Anand (wicketkeeper), Hardik Tamore (wicketkeeper).
