SMAT: Suryakumar Yadav named Mumbai captain; Shardul Thakur returns from finger injury

Suryakumar Yadav (Reuters) The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Monday named India’s World Cup 2026 captain Suryakumar Yadav as Mumbai’s captain for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.TOI in its November 5 edition exclusively reported that the veteran batsman will captain the white ball this season.“MCA is delighted to announce the senior men’s line-up in Mumbai for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s premier domestic T20 competition. India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team in Mumbai and brings his vast international experience, leadership and explosive batting skills to the squad. The team features a mix of young and promising domestic players from the Mumba team along with experienced international up-and-comers. We are committed to excellence and nurturing the next generation of cricketers,” MCA said. in the statement.Speaking on his appointment as captain, Suryakumar said, “It is always a matter of immense pride to represent Mumbai. It is an honor to lead this talented group in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai has a rich cricketing heritage and a winning culture and we will strive to carry on those traditions. We have a good mix of young, experienced players and a confident squad that will combine with talent and intensity. and give our best in every match. Our aim is to go all the way and bring the trophy home.”On Monday morning, SKY led the team against the Sarfaraz Khan-led side as Mumbai played an intra-squad practice match at the Brabourne Stadium of the Cricket Club of India.On October 6, the 36-year-old batsman was overlooked by the Mumbai selectors despite being available for the entire Ranji Trophy season. The reason was that he did not play enough red cricket. Suryakumar recently participated with MIG Cricket Club in the MCA President’s Cup ‘A’ and ‘B’ Division T20 tournament.SKY, who were dropped from the Indian team after the T20 World Cup following poor form, last played a competitive match in the T20 Mumbai League in June. He will now look to score for Mumbai in the SMAT in a bid to return to the Indian team.Another addition for Mumbai is senior all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who has returned to action after recovering from a broken middle finger that kept him out of the first round of the Ranji Trophy. Meanwhile, Mumbai Ranji captain Siddhesh Lad has decided to skip the white-ball tournament. Mumbai’s 16-member squad also includes India all-rounder Shivam Dube, while all-rounders Suryansh Shedge and Tanush Kotian will be off India A duty for the ACC Rising Stars tournament in Doha from November 19-29.After recording outright wins in all their first four matches in the first leg of the Ranji Trophy, Mumbai are set to play Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy league matches in Kolkata from November 14.“The Mumbai senior selection committee (headed by Rajesh Pawar) has decided that Surya will lead Mumbai in the white-ball tournaments this season. Mumbai will play their practice matches for SMAT on November 7 and November 9. The Mumbai team will be selected on November 9. The team will leave for Kolkata on November 11,” a Mumbairick source said.Elite Group D in SMAT includes Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Vidarbha. Mumbai will play their opening match against Hyderabad on November 14.team: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Shams Mulani, Divyansh Saxena, Maxwell Swaminathan, Suved Parkar, Tushar Deshpande, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Saiveraj D. Tamore Patil, Syl Dub (wk).