09 October,2026 08:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Siddhesh Lad (right) and Ayush Mhatre address the media at Wankhede on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje
[popcorn number="2024" desc="The year Mumbai won their last Ranji Trophy title" class="Default"]
Mumbai skipper Siddhesh Lad, 34, and his deputy Ayush Mhatre, 19, exuded confidence at the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions' pre-season press conference at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Lad, Mumbai's crisis man and highest run-scorer last season with 774 runs, admitted there will be pressure of expectations, but insisted his team is ready to win a record 43rd title.
"I feel the pressure will always be there when you are representing Mumbai. But as a unit, we want to embrace it and not run away from it because we know the history and culture we have," said Lad, who has scored 5,623 runs in 82 first-class matches.
Mhatre, who led India to the 2026 U-19 World Cup triumph in February, has fully recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered during IPL 2026. The youngster spent around three months at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is ready for the domestic season. Given the additional responsibility of being Mumbai's vice-captain, Mhatre said he would try to remain calm like his Chennai Super Kings batting great MS Dhoni.
"He [Dhoni] always tells me that you should stay calm on the field. Some decisions we take in aggressive mode are not the right ones. We are in that aggressive mode for only five minutes, so staying calm and making decisions calmly will be helpful. It helped me during the U-19 World Cup too, so I try to remain calm on the field," said Mhatre, who has scored 660 runs in 13 first-class games.
Asked about the absence of experienced batter and India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, Lad said: "Surya has been a fantastic player for Mumbai cricket. He has done a lot for Mumbai cricket and the Indian team over the years. He is a World Cup-winning captain and there is tremendous respect for him in our group. But whatever the management and selectors feel is right at this moment, as captain, I want to respect it."
Meanwhile, Lad revealed that India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who bowls leg-spin during the Indian team's net sessions, has also been working on his wicketkeeping. Mumbai already have two regular wicketkeepers in Akash Anand and Hardik Tamore, with Jaiswal an additional option if required.
"Yashasvi kept wickets for around 10 overs during our practice match. I feel he is trying hard to start keeping wickets. That's what I heard from him. He wants to keep wickets for Mumbai or the Indian team. That is what he is aiming for, but I don't
have any clarity on that," Lad said.
