India All-Rounder Shardul Thakur To Lead Mumbai, Hours After Ajinkya Rahane Steps Down As Captain: Report

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to lead the Mumbai team in the upcoming 2025-2026 season of the Ranji Trophy, according to the Indian Express.

The media reports surfaced on the internet just hours after Ajinkya Rahane stepped down as the captain of Mumbai.

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Mumbai Dominated Domestic Cricket Under Rahane's Leadership

Under Ajinkya Rahane's leadership, Mumbai excelled in the domestic tournaments. In the 2023-2024 season, Rahane helped Mumbai to win the Ranji Trophy after a gap of seven years.

Rahane also helped Mumbai clinch the Irani Trophy, after beating the Rest of India in the final in the 2024-2025 season.

Earlier on Thursday, August 21, Ajinkya Rahane took to his official X handle and announced his decision to step down as the captain of Mumbai. Rahane said that he made the decision just to groom a new leader.

"Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour. With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader, and hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with @MumbaiCricAssoc to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season," Ajinkya Rahane wrote on X.

In the previous season, Rahane appeared in 14 innings and scored 467 runs with one hundred and a fifty.

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Shardul Thakur's Stats For Mumbai In Previous Season

In the past few years, Shardul Thakur has also played a pivotal role behind Mumbai's success in domestic cricket. In the previous 2024-2025 season of the Ranji Trophy, Shardul Thakur amassed 505 runs and also picked 35 wickets after playing nine matches.

Shardul Thakur made his Test debut in 2018 against the West Indies. Following that, the 33-year-old played 13 matches and 22 innings, picking 33 wickets at an economy rate of 3.81. The allrounder also scored 377 runs for India from 21 innings, at an average of 18.85, and a strike rate of 59.84.

Ranji Trophy 2025-2026 will begin on October 15, with Mumbai taking on Jammu and Kashmir on the opening day.