Siddhesh Lad replaces Shardul Thakur as Mumbai captain in Ranji Trophy with an eye on all-rounder’s workload management

Middle-order bulwark Siddhesh Lad will replace Shardul Thakur as Mumbai skipper for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season while one of Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav will lead the powerhouse in white-ball domestic tournaments depending on their availability.

The 34-year-old Lad has been touted as the new leader for his golden virtue of being calm and composed under pressure. His consistency has remained impressive throughout. He had joined Goa for the 2022-23 season but returned to Mumbai after a single-year stint. Having spent the mandatory one-year cool off period in 2023-24, Lad joined the Mumbai ranks again in 2024-25.

Lad had a stellar season with the bat last Ranji Trophy season, accruing 774 runs in eight matches at 77.40 with five centuries and one fifty. Thakur, 34, has been relieved off the responsibility in order to manage his workload since the Mumbai think tank aims to maximize his efficiency as their premier fast bowler in the red-ball team. He is no slouch with the bat, having delivered the goods in many a crunch situation in the past.

It is for a second season running that Mumbai will enter the Ranji Trophy with a new captain at the helm. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Thakur had replaced veteran Ajinkya Rahane.