In what has come as a major development, star batter Ajinkya Rahane won’t be taking part when the second leg of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 resumes, starting January 22. The Indian veteran has told the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he isn’t available due to ‘personal reasons’.
“We will be picking the Mumbai team for their second stage of league game, (Ajinkya) Rahane won’t be taking part as he has informed MCA that he won’t be available for the remaining two red ball games,” an insider at MCA told IndianExpress on Saturday.
Rahane, who is the second-highest run-getter in the first-class history of Mumbai with 6141 runs at 51.17, will miss the two remaining group stage encounters and the following knockouts, considering Mumbai qualify for the same. Recently, the former Mumbai captain also missed the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) as he asked for a rest due to a hamstring injury. It is unknown if Rahane asked to be unavailable for the remaining Ranji Trophy game due to the same issue. In the ongoing India vs New Zealand ODI series, Rahane was seen joining Cricbuzz, sharing his valuable expert analysis on the show.
Mumbai at Ranji Trophy 2025/26
After the first leg of the Ranji Trophy, Mumbai accumulated 24 points with three wins in five games. Other two matches, against Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, ended in a draw. Mumbai’s remaining two matches, which Rahane will miss, are against Hyderabad (away) and Delhi (home). In all likelihood, Mumbai will qualify for the knockouts under the leadership of Shardul Thakur.
Thakur was chosen as Mumbai’s all-format captain after Rahane stepped down from the role before the ongoing season got underway. Although Mumbai didn’t have much success in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and VHT but they can go a long way in the longest format of the game.
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