Snubbed for Ranji, Suryakumar named Mumbai captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after missing the opening four Ranji Trophy rounds. His return offers the former India T20I skipper an opportunity to impress the new selection panel.Suryakumar Yadav will lead Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 (PTI Photo)New Delhi,Nov 9, 2026 19:50 ISTSuryakumar Yadav was on Monday named captain of Mumbai's T20 squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, starting November 14. The World Cup-winning former captain returns to the fold after having been left out of first four rounds of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy campaign.Suryakumar was in line to lead Mumbai in white-ball tournaments, if Shreyas Iyer was unavailable for selection, according to the PTI. Shreyas will not be available for majority of the domestic T20 competition, considering his commitments with the senior national team in ODIs and T20Is. Shreyas will lead the Indian team in the last two of the ongoing five-match series in New Zealand, which concludes on November 15.Suryakumar has not played competitive cricket since turning up for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 season in May. The former captain was not picked in India's T20I squad for their recent assignments as the selection committee, headed by ex-chairman Ajit Agarkar, moved on from him and named Shreyas Iyer his successor.Suryakumar was not picked in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad due to lack of red-ball practice. The 36-year-old will be keen on proving a point and sending a message to the new-look selection panel, headed by Pragyan Ojha. "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," Suryakumar said, as quoted by a Mumbai Cricket Association Statement."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," he added. The Mumbai squad also features India all-rounder Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer. The SMAT will also see the return of Shardul Thakur, who returns to competitive cricket after missing the first leg of Ranji Trophy due to a hand injury.Mumbai will take on Hyderabad in their tournament opener in Kolkata on November 14.Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Divyaansh Saxena, Suved Parkar, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Sairaj Patil, Shivam Dube, Atharva Ankolekar, Shams Mulani, Maxwell Swaminathan, Tushar Deshpande, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D'Souza, Hardik Tamore (wk).- Ends