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Revealed: Why SKY, Shreyas Iyer are missing from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy Squad

Rajgeeta Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer [Source: AFP and @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer [Source: AFP and @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Ahead of the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has announced a strong 16-player squad for their first match against Jammu and Kashmir, starting October 15 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. The team will be led by all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who takes over captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane, as the veteran batsman decided to step down from leadership duties this season.

However, two of Mumbai’s biggest cricket stars, Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) and Shreyas Iyer are not part of the squad. Their absence raised many questions among fans, but the MCA has now clarified the reasons.

According to MCA secretary Abhay Hadap, Suryakumar Yadav was not dropped from the team. Instead, his availability was not confirmed for the first match.

"No, SKY hasn't been dropped. It's just that his availability wasn't confirmed for this match. The Mumbai Cricket Association's staff tried to contact him (to ask if he would play in the match), but he didn't give his availability for this match to us,"  MCA secretary Abhay Hadap told TOI.

Shreyas Iyer to miss out Ranji Trophy

As for Shreyas Iyer, he has officially requested a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to back-related issues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approved his request, allowing him time to recover fully before returning to the longer format of the game.

Despite missing two senior players, Mumbai still has a strong lineup. Ajinkya Rahane will play an important role in the middle order, while Thakur’s all-round skills bring balance to the team. Sarfaraz Khan, who recently recovered from injury, returns to the side and will reunite with his younger brother Musheer Khan. Fast bowler Tushar Deshpande, also back from injury, strengthens the pace attack alongside Thakur and Royston Dias.

Youngster Ayush Mhatre, who recently captained India’s U-19 team and plays for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will join the squad in Srinagar. 

Mumbai, placed in Elite Group D with teams like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Jammu & Kashmir, will aim for a strong start to reclaim the Ranji Trophy title they narrowly missed last season after finishing runners-up to Vidarbha.

Mumbai Squad For Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season:

Shardul Thakur (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Tushar Deshpande, Shams Mulani, Siddhesh Lad, Musheer Khan, Ayush Mhatre, Tanush Kotian, Aakash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Akhil Herwadkar, Irfan Umair, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias