Mumbai has officially announced its 16-member squad for the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season opener against Jammu and Kashmir, appointing Shardul Thakur as the captain for the match commencing on October 15. The 42-time champions have included experienced campaigners Ajinkya Rahane and dynamic batsman Sarfaraz Khan in their lineup.
Shardul Thakur will lead the side, with Ajinkya Rahane having decided to step down as captain prior to the season’s commencement. The squad also features Shivam Dube, but notably excludes T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Sarfaraz Khan’s inclusion is a welcome boost, as he returns after a quadriceps injury that forced him to miss the Duleep Trophy. He sustained the injury during the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in August. Furthermore, his brother Musheer Khan is back in the fold after missing the entirety of the last season due to injuries from a car accident.
Indian international Shreyas Iyer has been rested from the Ranji Trophy opener to manage a recurring back problem and focus on his recovery. This move underscores the importance of player workload management. Meanwhile, Prithvi Shaw will no longer play for Mumbai, having shifted his domestic base to Maharashtra.
Mumbai’s first test of the season comes against Jammu and Kashmir, a team that handed them a defeat last year. J&K secured an impressive victory by chasing down 205 runs in a group stage fixture.
The 42-time champions are grouped in Elite Group D alongside Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Pondicherry, and Jammu and Kashmir. Last season, Mumbai reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by the eventual winners, Vidarbha.