Ajinkya Rahane Steps Down as Mumbai Captain Ahead of Ranji 2025, to Continue as Batsman

Former Mumbai captain and great batsman Ajinkya Rahane has made a surprising choice before the season of the Ranji Trophy 2025. Rahane has relinquished the captaincy of Mumbai. According to him, the time has now come to groom a young captain for the future. He has made the announcement through social media.

Rahane has said that he will not captain Mumbai in the domestic season and will continue to contribute to the team as a batsman. Rahane further clarified that now the Mumbai team needs to appoint a new captain. Rahane posted on Instagram, 'It has been an honor for me to captain the Mumbai team and win the championship. I believe this is the right time to groom a new captain, and hence I have decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I am fully committed to give my best as a player and will continue my journey with Mumbai. I am eagerly looking forward to this season.'

The Mumbai Ranji team has performed brilliantly under Rahane's captaincy. The team won the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 title and became champions for the 42nd time. At the same time, in the 2024-25 Ranji season, the team managed to reach the semi-finals. Rahane's performance as a batsman has also been excellent. Last season, he scored 467 runs in 14 innings at an average of 35.92.