Veteran cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has decided not to participate in Mumbai’s last two Ranji Trophy games. Mumbai is scheduled to face Hyderabad from January 22 to 25, followed by a match against Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground from January 29 to February 1. Rahane cited personal reasons for his withdrawal from the red-ball season, informing the Mumbai Cricket Association of his decision.
Rahane, who recently stepped down as Mumbai’s captain for the upcoming domestic season, expressed his belief in nurturing new leadership. The Mumbai Cricket Association has appointed Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur as the new captain, succeeding Rahane. During Rahane’s captaincy, Mumbai secured the Ranji Trophy in the 2023-24 season after a seven-year gap, reached the semifinals last season, and claimed victories in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Irani Trophy.
With an impressive record, Rahane stands as the second-highest run-scorer for Mumbai in first-class cricket, accumulating 6141 runs in 80 matches at an average of 57.18 between 2007 and 2025. He has also registered 19 centuries in first-class cricket for Mumbai, ranking second only to former India opener Wasim Jaffer. Rahane’s overall domestic career includes 205 first-class matches, 192 List A matches, and 284 T20 matches, amassing a total of 14,209 runs in first-class cricket, 6,853 runs in List A cricket, and 7,242 runs in T20 cricket.
