According to Indian Express, veteran all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to take over as Mumbai captain ahead of the new domestic season, after Ajinkya Rahane decided to step down.
Rahane, in a social media post, said he would no longer lead the side but would continue to play for Mumbai.
“Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour. With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with @MumbaiCricAssoc to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season,” he wrote on X.
Under Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy in 2023-24 and also lifted the Irani Trophy. However, they could not maintain that form in the last domestic season, which may be why Rahane decided to step down as captain. He will still play for Mumbai and has been performing well in recent seasons.
Shardul’s appointment was expected, especially after he was named West Zone captain for the Duleep Trophy. According to reports, the Mumbai senior selection committee had consulted Rahane before the season to seek his opinion on potential future captains.
He has been a key contributor to Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy success in recent years. Besides taking important wickets, he has often rescued the team with crucial lower-order runs. Last season, Shardul scored 505 runs for Mumbai, including a century, and claimed 35 wickets in nine matches.
His good performance earned him a spot in India’s squad for the England Test series. He played two matches and scored 41 runs in his last innings, but took only two wickets. Since he did not bowl many overs and could not fully convince captain Shubman Gill, he was left out of the fifth Test at The Oval. India added Karun Nair to strengthen their batting in the playing XI.
It will be interesting to see how Mumbai’s Ranji team performs under the new captain, Shardul. His appointment as captain is a reward for his long and successful career with Mumbai. Shardul made his first-class debut in 2012 and has taken 302 wickets in 96 matches for the team.
