Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead the Mumbai side in the forthcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which is a key event in India’s domestic T20 calendar. This comes after Suryakumar was relieved of his duties as India’s T20I captain earlier this year. Shardul Thakur, missing the opening leg of the Ranji Trophy due to a finger injury, will also make his return in this tournament.
The team includes other notable India players such as Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, and Tushar Deshpande. Unusually, the squad of 16 does not feature a designated vice-captain.
Mumbai have opted for separate leaderships across formats, splitting duties distinctly this season. Siddhesh Lad took the helm for the Ranji Trophy, guiding Mumbai through an impressive start with four successive victories. Now, T20 leadership rests with Suryakumar, absent from the Ranji squad.
“It’s always a tremendous honour to represent Mumbai,” Suryakumar stated on Monday. “Leading this talented side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a privilege. Mumbai’s cricket heritage is rich with a winning spirit, and we’re committed to continuing this legacy. With a blend of seasoned and new, exciting talent, our aim is to perform with intensity and ultimately bring the trophy back home,” he added.
It’s been a transitional period for Suryakumar, who was replaced by Shreyas Iyer as India’s T20I captain after the IPL concluded. Despite a notable performance with 270 runs in 13 innings, his franchise Mumbai Indians finished ninth.
Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur is set to make his return following an injury during the Duleep Trophy. Shivam Dube will join the Mumbai line-up after not featuring in India’s T20I series against New Zealand.
Mumbai will compete without Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is currently in New Zealand. Further unavailable players include Suryansh Shedge and Tanush Kotian, both selected for the 50-over Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha. Notably, Tanush Kotian had an impressive showing in the Ranji Trophy’s initial phase with 24 wickets and a commendable batting average.
In terms of new faces, Maxwell Swaminathan, a spin-bowling allrounder, enters the squad, bringing experience from his time with Maratha Royals in the Mumbai T20 League.
The Mumbai side will launch their Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign against Hyderabad on 14th November, in Kolkata. Placed in Group D, they will face teams from Gujarat, Goa, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
Mumbai squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Shams Mulani, Divyaansh Saxena, Maxwell Swaminathan, Suved Parkar, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Sairaj Patil, Sylvester D’Souza, Shivam Dube, Hardik Tamore.
