Why was Suryakumar Yadav Excluded from Ranji Trophy Squad? MCA Official Reveals

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have left out India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav from their 16-member squad for the opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Jammu and Kashmir.

Mumbai are set to open their Ranji Trophy campaign on October 15 (Wednesday), with the tournament likely to clash alongside India’s T20I assignment Down Under. Hence, Suryakumar wasn’t considered for selection, as the Mumbaikar will be part of India’s setup. 

"No, SKY hasn't been dropped. It's just that his availability wasn't confirmed for this match. The Mumbai Cricket Association's staff tried to contact him (to ask if he would play in the match), but he didn't give his availability for this match to us," MCA secretary Abhay Hadap told TOI.

Not just that, Mumbai will also be without their other star, Shreyas Iyer, who has asked the BCCI for a six-month break from red-ball format. However, barring those two, Mumbai have named a strong setup, with Shardul Thakur replacing Ajinkya Rahane as the new skipper. 

CSK opener and India’s U-19 skipper Ayush Mhatre will link up with the squad in Srinagar, as the squad also sees the return of Musheer Khan and Tushar Deshpande. Alongside that, it gives another opportunity to Sarfaraz Khan to press his case to make a comeback to the Indian Test setup. 

Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad for Jammu and Kashmir clash

Shardul Thakur (Captain), Ayush Mhatre, Aakash Anand (WK), Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester Dsouza, Hardik Tamore (WK), Irfan Umair, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Royston Dias