Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur misses Ranji Trophy clash vs Hyderabad due to leg injury. Siddhesh Lad steps in as captain and eyes India call-up.

Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur missed the Ranji Trophy clash against Hyderabad on Thursday after sustaining a minor leg injury, his childhood coach Dinesh Lad revealed.

Thakur’s leadership and Mumbai’s performance

Shardul has been leading Mumbai since the start of the tournament, guiding the team to three wins in five games, with the other two matches ending in stalemates. Due to his injury, he could not take part in the Hyderabad game, with Siddhesh Lad stepping in as captain.

Recovery update from Dinesh Lad

“Shardul faced some physical discomfort and injured his leg. He’s recovering now and getting fit, and will mostly be available for the next match. I spoke to him, and he’ll be available when they play Delhi in Mumbai,” Dinesh told IANS when asked why Shardul wasn’t participating.

Dinesh Lad, Siddhesh’s father and an experienced coach who mentored former India captain Rohit Sharma in his childhood, expressed pride in his son’s Ranji Trophy performances for Mumbai after he was named the captain of the side for the Hyderabad encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

He also mentioned that Thakur believes the 33-year-old might soon earn his maiden India call-up if he keeps performing similarly.

“I spoke to Shardul a while back, and he feels that if Siddhesh keeps performing the way he does, he might soon receive an India call-up, and I’m hopeful if he scores a couple of centuries in the next 3-4 games, he can get an India call,” Lad stated.

Pride in Siddhesh Lad’s leadership

Reflecting on Siddhesh taking over the leadership role from Thakur while he recovers from the injury, Dinesh expressed his pride and shared a simple message for his son.

“It feels good that Shardul led the team first, and now Siddhesh is leading. I feel really proud. My only message to Siddhesh will be play good cricket and make the team proud,” he said.

Siddhesh comes into the Hyderabad fixture in fine form. In Mumbai’s previous Ranji Trophy encounter against Puducherry, the right-handed batter was named Player of the Match after scoring a commanding 170 off 285 balls in the first innings as Mumbai went on to register a massive innings-and-222-run victory.

Shardul Thakur traded to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026

Shardyl Thakur join Mumbai Indians following a trade between the two franchises. Shardul was originally signed by Lucknow as an injury replacement for the 18th edition of the league, featuring in 10 matches and showcasing his versatility as a reliable utility player. Known for delivering clutch performances, the all-rounder has now been traded to Mumbai Indians for his existing player fee of INR 2 crore.

( Inputs from IANS )