Photo: Suryakumar Yadav (BCCI)
Suryakumar Yadav to captain Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; Shardul Thakur and Sarfaraz Khan also named in the squad
Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai team for the upcoming season of the domestic T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Having been replaced as the captain of the Indian T20 side earlier this year, Suryakumar will now take charge of the Mumbai team on the domestic circuit. The tournament also marks the return of fast bowler Shardul Thakur, who had missed the opening phase of the Ranji Trophy due to a finger injury.
Mumbai squad features several star players
In addition to Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur, the 16-member Mumbai squad includes prominent Indian players such as Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, and Tushar Deshpande. Notably, no official vice-captain has been named for the team this time around.
Mumbai has opted for a change in leadership this season. Previously, Shardul Thakur served as captain across all formats. For the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Siddhesh Lad was appointed captain, leading Mumbai to consecutive victories in their first four matches. Now, the reins for the T20 format have been handed to Suryakumar Yadav, who was not included in the Ranji Trophy squad.
Expressing his delight at the appointment, Suryakumar said in a statement released on Monday, "Representing Mumbai is always a matter of great pride. I feel honored to lead this talented group in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai has a rich cricketing heritage and a winning culture, and we will strive to uphold those traditions. Our team features a great blend of experienced players and exciting young talent."
Player Status and Team Composition
- Suryakumar Yadav: Suryakumar’s last official match was in the IPL, during which he served as the captain of the Indian T20 side following their T20 World Cup victory on home soil. Shortly after the IPL concluded, the selectors dropped him from the T20 squad and appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain. During the IPL, in which the Mumbai Indians finished ninth, Suryakumar scored 270 runs across 13 innings. Since then, he has participated in the Mumbai T20 League and club-level cricket.
- Shardul Thakur: Shardul is returning to the field after having last played in the Duleep Trophy during the second half of August. He sustained an injury to the middle finger of his right hand during a training session just before the Ranji Trophy, which kept him sidelined for four red-ball matches.
- Shivam Dube: Shivam Dube, who did not feature in any of the matches during the five-game T20 series against New Zealand (which India won 3-2), has now returned to the Mumbai squad.
- Unavailable Players: Mumbai will be without Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is currently on the tour of New Zealand. Additionally, all-rounders Suryavansh Shete and Tanush Kotian will also be unavailable, as they have been selected for the 50-over 'Rising Stars Asia Cup' taking place in Doha from November 19. In the first phase of the Ranji Trophy, Tanush Kotian was among the top five wicket-takers, claiming 24 wickets at an average of 15.50; he also scored two half-centuries across four innings.
- New Addition: A new name in the squad is 27-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder Maxwell Swaminathan. Swaminathan played for the champion Maratha Royals in the Mumbai T20 League, where he shared a dressing room with Lad and Deshpande.
Fixtures and Schedule
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy begins on November 14. The Mumbai team will kick off their campaign with a match against Hyderabad in Kolkata. Mumbai has been placed in Group 'D', which also includes Gujarat, Goa, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
Mumbai's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Shams Mulani, Divyansh Saxena, Maxwell Swaminathan, Suved Parkar, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Sairaj Patil, Sylvester D'Souza, Shivam Dube, Hardik Tamore.
