Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) wants to groom Ayush Mhatre as captain, which is why he has been chosen to lead the 17-member Mumbai squad for the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament. The Sanjay Patil-led selection committee focused on youth in the team selection. And yet, Mhatre being named captain is interesting, given that the squad also includes Sarfaraz Khan and senior player Hardik Tamore.
Mhatre is just 18 years old, and this is the most high-profile side in Indian domestic cricket, with 42 Ranji Trophy titles.
“We want to groom Mhatre as captain,” a top MCA official told RevSportz. “Don’t forget, he is India (U-19) captain. He has played the Ranji Trophy and the IPL. Mhatre might be young, but he has the experience. He knows how to handle pressure. We believe he will do the job well.”
Between the lines, though, Mumbai cricket might be thinking about transition. Of course, Mhatre is unlikely to be appointed as the captain of the Ranji Trophy side, but the MCA is not confirming if Ajinkya Rahane will stay on as skipper for the 2025-26 season.
“It’s the selectors’ call, we don’t interfere in selection matters,” said the official, adding: “It might also depend on the availability of the India players.”
Mumbai won their 42nd Ranji Trophy crown under Rahane’s captaincy in 2023-24, beating Vidarbha in the final. Last season, however, their batting faltered, with tailenders bailing them out on several occasions. Eventually, their luck ran out against Vidarbha in the semi-final.
For any other team, a place in the Ranji Trophy last four is considered a success. As far as Mumbai are concerned, it’s the cup or nothing. The West Zone selection committee headed by Patil has left out Rahane, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, from the Duleep Trophy squad. From Rahane to Shreyas Iyer could be a natural transition in captaincy. Then again, Shreyas is likely to return to the Indian team across formats, and the white-ball tour of Australia followed by four home Tests — two each against the West Indies and South Africa — in the autumn and winter might see him miss the first few rounds of the Ranji Trophy.
Rahane is hugely respected as a cricketer in Mumbai circles and, even if the MCA decides to move on, it will be done in a dignified manner.
Meanwhile, the association is not aware of Rohit Sharma’s plans regarding joining Mumbai’s training. The former India captain, who has retired from Tests and T20Is, hasn’t played competitive cricket since the Champions Trophy final on 9 March. Rohit has resumed individual training, but he needs game time before India’s limited-overs series in Australia in October-November.