No place for Suryakumar Yadav as Mumbai name squad for Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opener against Chandigarh

Mumbai have left out Suryakumar Yadav from their squad for the opening match of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season against Chandigarh, despite the former India captain making himself available for the country's premier red-ball competition. Siddhesh Lad will lead the side in the fixture, which begins on October 11 at the Wankhede Stadium, while Ayush Mhatre, who captained India to the 2026 ICC Men's U19 World Cup title, has been named vice-captain.

Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar said the management is keen to groom Mhatre, citing his cricketing acumen and strong recent form.

"The selection committee unanimously has gone with experienced Siddhesh Lad as the captain for the season. Along with a senior, we have planned to groom a junior in Ayush Mhatre as the vice-captain. He has led India U-19 to the World Cup win, is a smart cricketer and is in excellent nick," Pawar told Sportstar on October 5.

Pawar explained that the selectors want to give younger players an opportunity at the start of the season, while also allowing Suryakumar time to get a feel for the red-ball format before considering him for selection.

"Surya is available, but it was thought best to go with the youngsters for the time being. He is obviously a big-match player and a proven performer for Mumbai. We just want him to get back into rhythm by playing a few red-ball matches," Pawar said.

"Suryakumar hasn't played a red-ball match in the last 18 months, so we want him to have a few games under his belt before he comes into the team."

Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opener vs Chandigarh:

Siddhesh Lad (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (vice-captain), Divyaansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Onkar Tarmale.