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Suryakumar Yadav could soon get a new captaincy role with Mumbai despite being left out of the team for the opening Ranji Trophy match. Suryakumar Yadav was available for selection against Chandigarh, but the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) selectors decided to go with Musheer Khan.
The experienced batter’s Ranji exclusion has raised many eyebrows, but his absence from Mumbai’s pre-season training camp and lack of red-ball cricket worked against him. But the MCA is still open to giving Suryakumar the white-ball captaincy if Shreyas Iyer is unavailable.
Why Suryakumar Yadav was left out of Ranji squad?
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) had started its pre-season camp in June at the Cricket Club of India and the BKC Ground. The Ranji Trophy probables have been training there since then, but Suryakumar Yadav was not part of that pre-season camp.
The former Indian skipper also did not play any red-ball game before the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. The selectors therefore decided not to pick him and instead back the younger batter Musheer Khan, who had been involved in the preparations for the first-class competition.
The MCA selectors felt dropping Musheer to make space for Suryakumar would have been unfair, especially after his performances for the team in the red-ball cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav likely to get Mumbai captaincy
While Suryakumar has missed out on the Ranji Trophy selection, the Mumbai Cricket Association has not closed the door on him for the white-ball chances.
If Mumbai’s regular white-ball captain and India’s current T20I skipper, Shreyas Iyer, is unavailable, Suryakumar could be considered for the captaincy in Mumbai’s white-ball tournaments.
The 36-year-old batter has been assured by the Mumbai selectors that he will remain in their plans and will be considered for the upcoming domestic tournaments during the 2026-27 season. Amid this, Shreyas Iyer recreates India’s 2007 T20 World Cup heroes with current stars.
But his captaincy future depends on Iyer’s availability. The MCA source was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times, "We will consider him for white-ball captaincy if Shreyas is not available.”
Suryakumar Yadav’s tough year continues
Suryakumar was last seen playing for Mumbai in the T20 Mumbai League after his IPL 2026 campaign with Mumbai Indians earlier this year. The right-handed batter has been going through a difficult phase this year, with the latest setback coming in red-ball cricket.
He was first removed as India’s T20I captain and later dropped from the T20I squad, with Iyer replacing him. The decision came only a few months after Suryakumar had led India to the T20 World Cup title on home soil. However, the MCA could hand him white-ball captaincy this season when Iyer will not be available.
Siddhesh Lad to lead Mumbai's Ranji team
With Siddhesh Lad taking charge as Mumbai captain this season, the team’s Ranji Trophy opener will feature India batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan.
Regular Mumbai stars Shams Mulani and Tushar Deshpande are also part of the squad after featuring in India A’s 1-0 win over Australia A in the recent unofficial Test series at home.
