Ajinkya Rahane steps down as Mumbai captain

Star cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has announced his decision to step down as the captain of Mumbai cricket team with immediate effect. Rahane has taken the call to move away from the leadership role, keeping in mind the start of the upcoming domestic season. The Ashwi-KD-born believes that a new season will allow Mumbai to groom a new leader, allowing them to think from a future perspective. He will continue as a player, though.

Notably, Rahane served as the red-ball skipper for the side over the last three domestic seasons, leading them to a title in 2023-24, when the side beat Vidarbha in the finals at the Wankhede Stadium. In the last season, the side ended as semi-finalists, as Vidarbha revenged their loss from the previous edition. Rahane wasn't at his best on individual front, but his tactical brilliance as captain were commendable.

"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," Rahane posted on his official social media handle on Thursday, August 21.

"I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with Mumbai Cricket Association to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season," he wrote further.

Shreyas Iyer emerges as one of the frontrunners

With him now gone as captain, three names that emerge as the frontrunners for the captaincy spot are Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, and Shams Mulani. Notably, Mulani has been the vice-captain for Mumbai over the last couple of seasons, and had led the side in Rahane's absence. Meanwhile, Iyer is their limited-overs' skipper, whereas, Shardul has been named the West Zone captain despite the former being named in the squad.

For Mumbai, the domestic season will start with the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, where they will face Jammu & Kashmir in their Round 1 match. They will also be facing Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Hyderabad and Delhi further in the competition. It will be interesting to see who is seen as a future leader by the Mumbai Cricket Association.

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Rahane's First-Class numbers speak volumes, with exactly 14,000 runs after 201 matches at an impressive average of 45.16. He has 41 hundreds and 59 half-centuries in red-ball cricket, and has also served as a key figure in Indian cricket when Virat Kohli captained the side in Tests. He had recently expressed his desire to play Test cricket once again, but that seems a distant dream at the moment.