Mumbai’s squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) has been announced, with Shreyas Iyer named as captain and the controversial but talented Prithvi Shaw making a much-talked-about return to the team. Mumbai were eliminated in the quarter-final of last year’s SMAT tournament when Baroda recorded a 3-wicket win in Chandigarh.
Shreyas Iyer leads Mumbai
Iyer, who has been in fantastic form in Ranji Trophy with 452 runs at an impressive average of 90.40, will lead the 17-member squad. His recent performances include a blazing double century (233 runs) against Odisha and a solid 142 against Maharashtra, showing he means business in his attempt to return to Team India. Moreover, this further raises his stocks at the IPL 2025 Auction, where Iyer is touted to attract huge bids.
Yes, Prithvi Shaw is here!
The big talking point is the inclusion of Prithvi Shaw, who was earlier dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team due to fitness and discipline issues. The 25-year-old opener’s return suggests he might have addressed these concerns that had put his career in a difficult spot. However, Shaw is known to be an aggressive T20 batter and the upcoming season would be ever-so crucial for him.
In an interesting move, Mumbai’s red-ball captain Ajinkya Rahane, who led the team to the Ranji title last season, will play under Iyer’s leadership. Rahane’s current Ranji Trophy form has been modest, scoring just 174 runs at an average of 29.00 in five matches. The squad looks strong with experienced players like Shardul Thakur and the in-form Tanush Kotian, who recently returned from India A’s tour of Australia. Siddhesh Lad, who has been scoring consistently, also finds a place in the team.
Why no Suryakumar Yadav?
Interestingly, there is no Suryakumar Yadav in the squad. According to TOI, the Team India’s T20I skipper will be unavailable for the tournament due to her family commitments. Apparently, he would be busy with her sister’s wedding. Moreover, another T20 World Cup 2024 winner in Shivam Dube is still dealing with injury issues that kept him out of India’s recent T20I matches.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad for Mumbai
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Jay Bista, Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Sairaj Patil, Hardik Tamore (wicketkeeper), Aakash Anand (wicketkeeper), Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, Tanush Kotian, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Royston Dias, Juned Khan.
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