Ranji Trophy 2022: Prithvi Shaw likely to be appointed Mumbai captain

Young Indian batter Prithvi Shaw is mostly likely to be appointed Mumbai’s captain for the upcoming edition of the Ranji Trophy. The team for the tournament, starting Thursday, January 13, is most likely to be picked later this week. Mumbai are placed in Elite Group C for the first-class championship along with Karnataka, Delhi, Hyderabad, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.

Back in March, Shaw had captained Mumbai to glory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also showed excellent form with the bat, racking up 827 from eight matches at an incredible average of 165.50 to go with four centuries. Shaw will be looking to turn Mumbai’s fortunes this season.

Even as Ajinkya Rahane led them in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shams Mulani was their skipper in the 50-overs competition. In both tournaments, Mumbai failed to qualify beyond the league stage.

Prithvi Shaw to lead in Rahane, Suryakumar’s absence

“Shaw looks the most ideal candidate to lead the team, since the other top players like Ajinkya and Suryakumar are unavailable,” a source was quoted as saying to The Times of India.

Shaw recently plied his trade for India A in their unofficial Tests against South Africa A at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. In three games, he scored 151 runs at an average of 30.20. The 22-year-old last donned the national jersey in India’s tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year in July.

Meanwhile, Mumbai are set to leave early for Kolkata on January 3 to take part in a few intra-squad games before the first-class tournament gets underway. The team has also roped in psychologist Mugdha Bavare, who has helped out plenty of Indian athletes before the Tokyo Olympics.

“Noted sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare, who helped many Indian athletes to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics this year, took a session with the Mumbai team last week. During the Ranji Trophy, she will have online sessions with the players and the team as a whole,” the source added.

Mumbai have also named MCA joint secretary Hemant Waingankar’s son Himanshu as the team’s manager. Himanshu had represented Mumbai in domestic cricket and is presently serving as the cricket secretary of the Tata Sports Club.