Suryakumar Yadav appointed as Mumbai captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Mumbai: T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has been named as Mumbai’s captain for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced on Monday.

The MCA said Suryakumar will be ‘bringing his vast international experience, leadership and explosive batting prowess to the team’. Suryakumar was not considered for the first phase of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign, but his standing in white-ball cricket, including leading India to retain their Men’s T20 World Cup title earlier this year, made him a strong contender to lead the side once again.

“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,” added the MCA.

Suryakumar has been playing for MIG Cricket Club in the MCA President’s Cup. “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.

“We have a good mix of experienced players and exciting young talent, and I am confident that the team will come together, play with intensity and give its best in every match. Our aim is to go all the way and bring the trophy home,” Suryakumar said in a statement by the MCA.

Suryakumar takes over at a time when Mumbai are without several key players. All-rounders Tanush Kotian and Suryansh Shedge will miss the tournament after being named in the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup, to be played in Doha from November 19-29.

Shreyas Iyer is currently on national duty for India’s ODI series against New Zealand, while Ranji Trophy captain Siddhesh Lad is sitting out of the competition. Placed in Elite Group D, Mumbai will play all their league matches in Kolkata.

Their first game is against Hyderabad on November 14 before taking on Gujarat on November 16 and Goa on November 18. Mumbai will then meet Vidarbha on November 20, before facing Chhattisgarh on November 22 and taking on Odisha on November 24. Their league stage campaign ends against Uttarakhand on November 26.

Mumbai squad: 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, Sairaj Patil, Sylvester Dsouza, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Tamore (wk)

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