Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 9: India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed captain of Mumbai for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced on Monday.
The MCA said Suryakumar would bring his vast international experience, leadership qualities and explosive batting prowess to the team. Although he was not considered for the first phase of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy campaign, his impressive record in white-ball cricket, including leading India to retain the Men's T20 World Cup title earlier this year, made him a strong contender for the leadership role.
“The squad features a blend of experienced international and domestic players along with promising young talent, reflecting Mumbai's continued commitment to excellence and nurturing the next generation of cricketers,” the MCA said.
Suryakumar has been representing MIG Cricket Club in the MCA President's Cup. Expressing his pride at being entrusted with the responsibility, he said representing Mumbai was always a matter of great honour.
“It is always a matter of immense pride to represent Mumbai. I am honoured to lead this talented group in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai has a rich cricketing legacy and a winning culture, and we will look to uphold those traditions,” he said in a statement issued by the MCA.
He added that the team had a good combination of experienced players and promising youngsters and expressed confidence that the squad would perform with intensity and give its best in every match.
“Our aim is to go all the way and bring the trophy home,” Suryakumar said.
Mumbai, however, will be without several key players for the tournament. All-rounders Tanush Kotian and Suryansh Shedge will miss the competition after being selected for the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Doha from November 19 to 29.
Shreyas Iyer is currently on national duty for India's ODI series against New Zealand, while Ranji Trophy captain Siddhesh Lad is also sitting out of the competition.
Placed in Elite Group D, Mumbai will play all their league-stage matches in Kolkata. They will begin their campaign against Hyderabad on November 14, followed by matches against Gujarat on November 16 and Goa on November 18.
Mumbai will then face Vidarbha on November 20, Chhattisgarh on November 22 and Odisha on November 24. Their league-stage campaign will conclude against Uttarakhand on November 26.
Mumbai squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Shams Mulani, Divyansh Saxena, Maxwell Swaminathan, Suved Parkar, Tushar Deshpande, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Sairaj Patil, Sylvester Dsouza, Shivam Dube and Hardik Tamore (wicketkeeper).