Siddhesh Lad has been appointed as Mumbai's captain for the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season, replacing Shardul Thakur. The Mumbai senior selection committee confirmed the decision on August 31, 2026, with the change driven by leadership continuity and workload management considerations for Thakur.
Shardul Thakur had led Mumbai across formats during the 2025-26 domestic season. The selection committee, however, determined that the demands placed on him as a key bowler and lower-order batter made the captaincy
an additional burden that needed to be addressed ahead of the new campaign.
"Yes, we’ve decided to appoint Siddhesh as our captain for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. He did well last season and is experienced. Shardul is our match-winner. There is already too much workload on him as he’s expected to bowl a lot of overs, take wickets and contribute with the bat as well. We don’t want to burden him with the responsibility of captaincy. Plus, we’ll have to manage his workload. There are 10 games in the Ranji Trophy and he may have to rest for the odd match," Rajesh Pawar told TOI.
Both Lad and Thakur were consulted before the decision was finalised, and both players responded positively to the change.
"We’ve spoken to both Siddhesh and Shardul about it, and both are positive about it. Since the season starts with four Ranji Trophy matches in October, we wanted clarity on the captaincy well in advance," Pawar clarified.
Why was Siddhesh Lad chosen to lead Mumbai?
Lad's form during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy made him a clear candidate for the captaincy. He had already stepped in as captain during that season when Thakur was unavailable due to injury, giving him prior leadership experience with the same group of players.
His batting figures from 2025-26 underline his standing in the side. Lad scored 774 runs in eight matches at an average of 77.40, including five centuries. Across his first-class career, he has accumulated 5,623 runs in 82 matches at 44.27, with 15 hundreds and 30 fifties. He also won the Justice Tendolkar Trophy for Best Senior Cricketer for the 2025-26 season, an award presented at the MCA awards ceremony.
When and where does Mumbai begin their 2026-27 Ranji Trophy campaign?
Mumbai have been placed in Elite Group D for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy alongside Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Railways, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. Their opening fixture is against Chandigarh at Wankhede Stadium, scheduled from October 11 to 14.
Mumbai last won the Ranji Trophy in the 2023-24 season, when they lifted the title under Ajinkya Rahane. The 2026-27 campaign will be Lad's first full season leading the side from the outset.
