Suryakumar Yadav makes himself available for Ranji Trophy

Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has made himself available for the Ranji Trophy 2026-27. He will represent Mumbai in the domestic tournament. The 36-year-old hasn't played cricket since the Indian Premier League 2026, but according to a TOI report, he could be a part of Mumbai's Elite Group D campaign opener of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on October 11.

Surya's last red-ball match for Mumbai was in February 2025 against Vidarbha in Nagpur, and now the veteran has decided to turn up for his domestic team.

“Surya has confirmed his availability for the forthcoming Ranji Trophy to MCA president Ajinkya Naik," a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) source told TOI.

In 86 first-class matches, Suryakumar has scored 5,758 runs at an average of 42.33. He has struck 14 centuries and 30 fifties in 144 innings, and his presence will boost Mumbai's chances of starting the new season on a positive note.

However, former Mumbai skipper Shardul Thakur will miss a few matches. The all-rounder led the team in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy, but he is currently recovering from a hand injury. 

"Shardul suffered a hand injury when a ball driven by Ayush Mhatre struck him. The injury is likely to keep him out of the next few games," an MCA source was quoted as saying by TOI.

It is a big setback for Mumbai as the 34-year-old can contribute across departments. He played six matches for Mumbai in the last season and took 13 wickets in addition to amassing 130 runs. Tushar Deshpande will lead Mumbai’s pace attack.

His last competitive game was for West Zone in the quarterfinal of the Duleep Trophy against North Zone at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Shardul managed to take just one wicket across two innings.