Suryakumar Yadav Snubbed As 19-Year-Old Ayush Mhatre Named Mumbai Ranji Trophy Vice-Captain

Suryakumar Yadav has been left out of Mumbai's squad for their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season opener despite making himself available for the entire season.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced a 16-member squad on Monday for their opening fixture against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium from October 11 to 14.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had also informed the selectors that he was available, has been included in the squad.

Suryakumar was asked about his availability for Ranji Trophy last week and took a day before confirming that he was willing to play. However, MCA officials claimed they made several attempts to contact the batter afterwards but did not receive a response.

Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar explained the decision to leave Suryakumar out, pointing to his lack of recent red-ball cricket.

“He is a very big player. But he hasn’t played red-ball cricket in the last one and a half years. Should he play a few red-ball games, he can definitely come into the side,” Pawar said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

Suryakumar last played a First-Class match in February 2025, when he represented Mumbai against Vidarbha in Nagpur.

The 36-year-old was also the captain of India when they successfully defended their T20 World Cup title earlier this year, but lost his place in the squad soon after the tournament.

Pawar said the selectors wanted to give opportunities to younger players while keeping the door open for Suryakumar to return after playing red-ball cricket.

Jaiswal, meanwhile, has been selected after making himself available. Pawar welcomed the batter's return to Mumbai and highlighted the importance of match practice.

India Asian Games 2026 Medal Tally

“It’s a good thing that Yashasvi is coming to play for Mumbai. He also needs match practice. When asked, he said he is available, so that’s good for the team. There is a chance he might be in either the senior or the A team touring New Zealand; so we only announced the squad for the first match,” Pawar said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

Jaiswal had reportedly made himself available for a limited period amid reports that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked players to get red-ball practice ahead of the Test tour of New Zealand.

Siddhesh Lad has been named Mumbai's captain for the season, with 19-year-old Ayush Mhatre appointed as his deputy.

Mhatre has played 13 First-Class matches and has scored 660 runs at an average of 30. He had led India to the Under-19 World Cup title earlier this year.

His appointment as vice-captain comes after Bihar named 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as their red-ball vice-captain.

The squad also includes India batter Sarfaraz Khan, who recently played for Rest of India in their Irani Cup victory over Jammu and Kashmir. Shams Mulani has also been selected after his performances for India A against Australia A helped India A win their two-match unofficial Test series 1-0.

Mumbai will be without all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who picked up an injury during training recently.

Mumbai Ranji Trophy Squad

Siddhesh Lad (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (vice-captain), Divyaansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wicketkeeper), Hardik Tamore (wicketkeeper), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D'Souza, Onkar Tarmale.