Ajinkya Rahane steps down as Mumbai captain ahead of 2025-26 domestic season

Ajinkya Rahane announced his decision to step down as Mumbai captain on social media.

Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has stepped down as the captain of Mumbai team ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. The right-handed batsman announced his decision with a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Rahane said that it was the right time for Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to groom a new captain for the team. The 37-year-old also added that he will continue to play for the team in domestic cricket.

Under Rahane’s captaincy, Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy in the 2023-24 season, ending a seven-year drought for the title. He also led the team to the Irani title win in 2024-25 season. Not only this,Mumbai also won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where Rahane finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer.

I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role: Ajinkya Rahane

In a post on X, Rahane announced his decision to quit as Mumbai captain ahead of the new domestic season.

“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”, he wrote on X.

“I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season,” he further added.

Notably, the 2025-26 domestic season will start with the Duleep Trophy 2025 on August 28. Rahane was not picked in West Zone squad for the tournament.

Rahane is the second highest all-time run-scorer for Mumbai in first-class cricket behind Wasim Jaffer. The right-handed batsman has scored 5932 runs in 76 matches for Mumbai at an average of 52.0, including 19 centuries.

Meanwhile, Rahane is aiming for a comeback in the test team. He last played a test match for India in July 2023 against the West Indies. He was last seen in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After Rahane’s exit, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan are among the popular names to take on the leadership role.

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