Sarfaraz Khan To Captain Mumbai In Upcoming Buchi Babu Tournament

Sarfaraz Khan is set to captain Mumbai in the All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament in Chennai starting on August 15. This decision comes as senior Mumbai players are currently unavailable.

Ajinkya Rahane, who led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title last season, is playing for Leicestershire in England. Star opener Prithvi Shaw is also in England, representing Northamptonshire. Shreyas Iyer has returned to India's ODI squad and will likely train at the NCA ahead of the Bangladesh series in September.

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who was Ajinkya Rahane's deputy last season, is also unavailable as he is training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. The absence of these key players has led to Sarfaraz Khan being chosen to lead the team.

The Sandeep Patil-led selection committee has rewarded young Sarfaraz Khan with the captaincy. The 26-year-old made his Test debut earlier this year against England, playing three matches and scoring 200 runs, including three fifties. His average in his maiden series for India was an impressive 50, and he batted at a strike rate of 79.36.

Speaking to mid-day, Sandeep Patil confirmed that Ajinkya Rahane would lead the Mumbai team in the Irani Cup against Rest of India starting from October 1. "There is no question of who will be captain if Ajinkya is available, but in his absence we should be ready with options and currently Sarfaraz is the senior-most and a Test player," Patil told Sunday mid-day.

The Mumbai team recently had a two-week preparatory camp at Alur, near Bangalore, where they played several practice matches to gear up for upcoming tournaments.

Mumbai squad for Buchi Babu Tournament 2024: Sarfaraz Khan (captain), Siddhesh Lad, Divyansh Saxena, Amogh Bhatkal, Akhil Herwadkar, Musheer Khan, Nutan Goel, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore, Prasad Pawar, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Himanshu Singh, Dhanit Raut, Sylvester D'Souza, Junaid Khan, Harsh Tanna

This reshuffle in leadership highlights Mumbai's depth and readiness to adapt despite missing key players. The upcoming tournaments will test their resilience and ability to perform under new leadership.