Overview

• The Mumbai Cricket Association named a 16-member squad for the Ranji Trophy opener against Jammu & Kashmir from October 15–18 at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar.
• Ajinkya Rahane, who relinquished the captaincy ahead of the season, is included in the squad under new captain Shardul Thakur.
• Sarfaraz Khan returns after receiving BCCI fitness clearance, with pacer Tushar Deshpande back from an ankle injury and Musheer Khan included after his car accident layoff.
• High-profile absentees include India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer who is on a red-ball break for back-related issues, and Prithvi Shaw who has moved to Maharashtra.
• The squad features senior performers such as Shivam Dube and Shams Mulani, with Aakash Anand set to keep wickets and Hardik Tamore as backup, as Mumbai begins its Elite Group D campaign.