The Mumbai Cricket Association has appointed 19-year-old Ayush Mhatre as vice-captain while leaving out Suryakumar Yadav from their 16-man squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season opener. The 42-time champions are scheduled to face Chandigarh at Wankhede Stadium starting October 11. Therefore, could not be considered for the Ranji opener, the pace-bowling all-rounder.
According to association insiders, selectors are keen to groom Mhatre as a future leader after he successfully captained India to an Under-19 World Cup victory. Mhatre has accumulated 13 first-class appearances over the past two seasons. The squad will be led by Siddhesh Lad and includes India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has confirmed his availability for the opening fixture.
Despite forwarding a message to selection committee head Rajesh Pawar expressing his readiness to play, Suryakumar was overlooked. Having lost the India T20I captaincy following the team’s T20 World Cup triumph in February and March, Suryakumar has remained inactive in competitive cricket since the Mumbai T20 League in June.
Chief selector Rajesh Pawar explained that the veteran batter requires competitive red-ball practice. Pawar noted that Suryakumar has not featured in a red-ball fixture for 18 months, prompting selectors to want him to build rhythm in a few matches before returning to the fold, while acknowledging his proven match-winning capability for Mumbai. So we want him to have a few games under his belt and then he can get into the team,” Pawar said, surya hasn’t played a red-ball match for the last 18 months. “He is obviously a big-match player and a proven performer for Mumbai. When asked about it, MCA sources declined to get into the matter.
Sarfaraz Khan secures a spot in the lineup following his stint standing in for Rishabh Pant during the Irani Cup, though he receives no leadership responsibilities. Meanwhile, Suryansh Shedge was drafted into the India A squad to replace Hardik Pandya for the upcoming three-match one-day series in Puducherry beginning Tuesday, ruling him out of Ranji contention.
Former skipper Shardul Thakur is another major absentee due to a fracture in his right middle finger. Pawar confirmed that Thakur faces a potential absence lasting through the first two matches.
