Suryakumar Yadav to lead Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
What's the story
Suryakumar Yadav, who was removed as the captain of India's T20I team earlier this year, will lead Mumbai in the impending Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The tournament is a key part of India's domestic T20 calendar. Shardul Thakur, who missed the first leg of the Ranji Trophy due to a finger injury, will also be returning for this tournament.
Appointment
Suryakumar's international experience
Suryakumar's appointment as the Mumbai white-ball skipper was earlier backed by his stellar international leadership record.
He led India to this year's ICC T20 World Cup title and the Asia Cup last year. Under him, India won 40 of the 52 T20Is, losing eight (Tied: 2 and NR: 2).
Suryakumar is India's third-highest run-scorer (3,272) in T20Is with a strike rate of 162.94.
Captain's statement
SKY proud to lead Mumbai
Expressing his pride in leading Mumbai, Suryakumar Yadav said, "I am honored to lead this talented group in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy."
He emphasized Mumbai's rich cricketing legacy and winning culture, adding that they would uphold those traditions.
The captain also expressed confidence in the team's mix of experienced players and young talent, saying they would give their best in every match with an aim to win the trophy.
Team composition
Key players included in Mumbai's SMAT squad
Along with Suryakumar and Thakur, the Mumbai squad for SMAT also includes Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, and Tushar Deshpande.
The 16-member team will be without Yashasvi Jaiswal (currently in New Zealand) as well as all-rounders Suryansh Shedge and Tanush Kotian (picked for the 50-over Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha from November 19).
Details
Full squad and schedule
The SMAT will begin on November 14, with Mumbai facing Hyderabad in Kolkata.
The team is placed in Group D along with Gujarat, Goa, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Atharva Ankolekar, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicket-keeper), Shams Mulani, Divyaansh Saxena, Maxwell Swaminathan, Suved Parkar, Musheer Khan, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohit Avasthi, Sairaj Patil, Sylvester D'Souza, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Tamore.