Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane announced on Thursday that he would be stepping down as captain of Mumbai ahead of the upcoming domestic season. Rahane took to social media to reveal his decision, citing the need to groom a new leader within the team.
“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 X. He added, “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.”
Under Rahane’s leadership, Mumbai ended a seven-year wait for the Ranji Trophy by clinching the title in the 2023-24 season. The team also secured the Irani Trophy in the 2024-25 campaign. Despite stepping down as captain, the 37-year-old made it clear that he has no intention of retiring and will continue to serve Mumbai as a batsman in all formats.
Mumbai’s squad is well-stocked with experienced leaders such as Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan. Except for Jaiswal and Sarfaraz, the others boast impressive captaincy credentials- Iyer has led three IPL franchises, while Suryakumar is the current T20I captain of India. Given Jaiswal’s Test commitments, selectors may favour a captain available for most of the domestic season. Both Iyer and Suryakumar, currently not in consideration for Test cricket, are strong candidates to succeed Rahane as Mumbai captain.
Rahane, who last played competitive cricket in IPL 2025, scored 390 runs from 13 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With his decision to step down from Mumbai’s captaincy, questions arise over whether KKR will retain him as captain for the next season.
– Ends
