Mumbai selectors dropped Suryakumar Yadav for skipping pre-season camp and lacking red-ball match practice
Mumbai's decision to exclude Suryakumar Yadav from the Ranji Trophy squad rests on his absence from pre-season training and lack of recent red-ball experience rather than performance.
Mumbai selectors left Suryakumar Yadav out of the 16-member Ranji Trophy squad for the match against Chandigarh despite the former India captain making himself available. The Mumbai Cricket Association said he had not attended the team's pre-season camp since the end of June and had not played a red-ball match in the previous 18 months.
Chief selector Rajesh Pawar stated that including Suryakumar would have meant dropping a younger player who had performed in recent games. An MCA source told PTI that Suryakumar was non-responsive for ten days when first approached about the squad and confirmed availability only at a later stage. The association has asked him to play state-level red-ball tournaments such as the Police Shield or Purushottam Shield to regain match fitness.
Siddhesh Lad will captain Mumbai with Ayush Mhatre as vice-captain. The MCA said it would consider Suryakumar for white-ball captaincy if Shreyas Iyer is unavailable. Shardul Thakur will miss the opening matches due to injury.
CricHubb Take
The MCA's stance sets a precedent that even established stars must meet minimum attendance and preparation standards. If Suryakumar now plays domestic red-ball matches to force a recall, selectors will face a clear test of whether the policy applies equally when results matter.