Why Suryakumar Yadav faced snub from Mumbai selectors for Ranji Trophy 2026-27 despite first-class average of 42.33?

India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t played competitive cricket since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Suryakumar wasn’t just sacked as captain but was dropped from the T20I squad due to his diminishing returns with the bat. The veteran batter was looking to get some game time in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 but he was denied by Mumbai selectors. The 36-year-old faced the snub from Mumbai selectors as well as he continues to remain on the sidelines.

Earlier, it was reported that Suryakumar has confirmed his availability to the Mumbai selection committee. The Mumbai chief selector Rajesh Pawar wants Suryakumar to get some red-ball games under his belt before returning to the Mumbai squad. Officially, he hasn’t closed the Ranji Trophy door for Suryakumar yet.

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“He is obviously a big-match player and a proven performer for Mumbai. We just want him to get into rhythm by playing a few red-ball matches. Surya hasn’t played a red-ball match for the last 18 months, so we want him to have a few games under his belt and then he can get into the team,” Pawar said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

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Suryakumar’s first-class record and Test cricket debut

Suryakumar has led the Mumbai Ranji side before. In first-class cricket, he has 5,758 runs from 86 games at an average of 42.33 featuring 14 centuries and 30 fifties. His high score is 200. In Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, he made his Test debut in Nagpur where he managed to score just eight runs. He was never considered for Test cricket again.

When will Suryakumar play competitive cricket again?

Suryakumar hasn’t given up on reviving his career. He will be eyeing the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 to make his mark. Mumbai selectors are likely to pick him, especially with captain Shreyas Iyer taking over the captaincy duties of the T20I team. He is likely to return to competitive cricket when Mumbai face Hyderabad in their SMAT campaign opener on November 14.

Suryakumar has played 71 SMAT games so far for Mumbai. He has scored 1,717 runs at an average of 33.01 and strike rate of 145.38 featuring nine fifties. The closest he got a century was an unbeaten 94 against Karnataka in Mumbai's seven-wicket win in the 2019 edition.

The Mumbai veteran may play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026-27 which goes on from December 14 to January 8. Mumbai play their opening game against Services on December 14.

Why Shardul Thakur isn’t playing?

Mumbai Ranji captain Shardul Thakur will not feature in the first few games this season due to a fractured middle finger.

“He may be unavailable for the first two matches,” Pawar said.

Who is captaining Mumbai? Sarfaraz snubbed from leadership duties

Siddhesh Lad will captain the Mumbai squad which includes a few Test players. Young Ayush Mhatre will mark his return after recovering from hamstring injury he picked up during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sarfaraz Khan did not get any leadership duties despite showing his captaincy prowess in Irani Cup win when skipper Rishabh Pant wasn’t able to take the field due to viral illness.

The Mumbai squad also features Yashasvi Jaiswal who did not get a game in the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies. Jaiswal will prepare for the red-ball challenge in New Zealand, a two-Test series which will begin on November 19 at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The young opener may play a few Ranji games before taking the flight to New Zealand.

“It’s a good thing that Yashasvi is coming to play for Mumbai. He also needs match practice. When asked, he said he is available, so that’s good for the team. There is a chance he might be in either the senior or the A team touring New Zealand; so we only announced the squad for the first match,” Pawar said ahead of Ranji Trophy. 

All-rounder Suryansh Shedge wasn’t considered for selection as he has been roped in as Hardik Pandya’s replacement in India A for the three One-Day series against Australia A in Puducherry. 

Mumbai’s squad for Ranji Trophy 2026-27’s first match

Siddhesh Lad (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre (vice-captain), Divyansh Saxena, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Onkar Tarmale.

Who will Mumbai face in Ranji 2026-27 opener?

The 42-time champions will go up against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium starting October 11.

Sarfaraz’s chance to prove himself again

Sarfaraz was picked as an unfit Sai Sudharsan’s replacement for the Sri Lanka Test series but did not get a game. In the Irani Cup against Jammu & Kashmir, he contributed with 45 in the first innings and fell for a duck in the second. Sarfaraz would be looking to get some runs under his belt to be in contention for India’s Test squad for New Zealand. Until and unless he puts up an extraordinary performance, getting a place in the Test squad will be tough. The picture will be clear if he gets picked in India A squad for red-ball series against New Zealand A which commences on October 1 in Christchurch.

Opportunity for Mulani, Kotian and Deshpande

Shams Mulani has made it clear, he wants him to be at the top of the list when a Test squad is being discussed. Mulani had taken 10 wickets in the two-game series against Australia A in Puducherry. While India will pick a pace-heavy squad for Test series in New Zealand, Mulani wants to be in reckoning when the squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027 is picked.

Kotian has already got his maiden Test call-up. He was called to Australia when Ravichandran Ashwin retired during Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. After an injury setback, Kotian has started performing again. He took seven wickets in the series against Australia A. Also, he made useful contributions with the bat including a 69-run knock in the first game. Kotian would want himself ahead of Saransh Jain when the selectors look for an off-spinner who can contribute with the bat. Jain had recently made an underwhelming Test debut in Sri Lanka in an injured Washington Sundar's absence.

Deshpande has been cranking up pace of late. He was wicketless in the second game against Australia A but bagged five wickets in the opener. Also, he contributed with a handy half-century in a drawn second game as a nightwatchman. He would want to be among the list of pacers for red-ball call-up. However, he has got plenty of competition to beat.