Mumbai have named a 16-member squad for their Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season opener against Chandigarh, scheduled from October 11 to 14 at Wankhede Stadium. Siddhesh Lad will lead the side, with Ayush Mhatre, who captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title earlier in 2026, appointed as his deputy.
Star Indian Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been recalled to the Mumbai setup for the fixture, returning to domestic red-ball cricket. Suryakumar Yadav has not been selected despite informing the Mumbai Cricket Association selectors of his availability, while experienced all-rounder Shardul Thakur remains unavailable because of injury.
For the 2026-27 season, Mumbai and Chandigarh have been placed in Elite Group D, which also features Haryana, Rajasthan, Railways, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.
Why has Yashasvi Jaiswal been recalled for Mumbai’s Ranji opener?
Jaiswal’s return to the Mumbai squad is driven by the need for competitive red-ball match practice ahead of a potential international assignment. Mumbai senior men’s chief selector Rajesh Pawar confirmed that Jaiswal was approached and indicated his availability. Pawar also noted that there is a possibility of Jaiswal featuring in either the senior India squad or the India A side set to tour New Zealand, which is why the selectors have announced the squad for the first match only.
“It’s a good thing that Yashasvi is coming here to play for Mumbai. He also needs match practice. When asked, he said he is available, so that’s a good thing. There is a chance that he might be in either the senior or the A team touring for New Zealand; thus, we only announced the squad for the first match.” Pawar said in a statement as quoted by Indian Express.
Why has Suryakumar Yadav been left out despite his availability?
Suryakumar communicated his willingness to play to the MCA selection panel, but the selectors chose not to pick him for the Chandigarh fixture. The primary reason cited was his prolonged absence from red-ball cricket.
“He is a very big player. But he hasn’t played red-ball cricket in the last one and a half years. Should he play a few red-ball games, he can definitely come into the side,” Pawar explained.
Sarfaraz Khan, who recently turned out for the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup, keeps his place in the squad. Shams Mulani is also included after his all-round contributions helped India A claim a two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A by a margin of 1-0.
Mumbai full squad for the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opener vs Chandigarh
Siddhesh Lad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (vc), Divyansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Onkar Tarmale
