Mumbai captain Aditya Tare to miss Mumbai’s Ranji opener

Mumbai captain Aditya Tare has made himself unavailable for the upcoming Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh tomorrow. Having notified the selectors earlier, Tare said that his selection depended on the birth of his baby. He will hence be spending this time with his wife, who is expected to deliver a baby anytime.

The skipper thanked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and the selectors for allowing him time to be with his wife while the team kicks off their campaign in the 84th edition of the tournament they’ve won 41 times. “I would like to thank the selectors, association and my teammates for understanding my situation and supporting me through it,” Tare said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman is best remembered as the mainstay of the Mumbai Indians team during the first 8 seasons of the IPL. He was a part of the squad during the franchise’s title-winning campaigns in 2013 and 2015 though the presence of Parthiv Patel in the squad often denied him a place in the XI in 2015 – and famously smashed a six off Australian all-rounder James Faulkner to take the side past Rajasthan Royals into the playoffs on net run rate in 2014.

After winning the league again in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he was released by the franchise to be snapped by Delhi Daredevils. He endured a disappointing campaign with just 3 appearances, which included 2 ducks.

Mumbai career

The 29-year-old took over as the Mumbai captain in the 2014-15 season. The wicketkeeper-batsman averages 38 in his 55 matches first-class career, with the best score of 222. More than his captaincy, the void of which will be filled by the former captain and current vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai will miss his ability with the bat and gloves.

Mumbai, the most successful team in the tournament history will play Madhya Pradesh tomorrow at Indore, in the first match of a rejigged Ranji Trophy format.