Dube ruled out of Mumbai's season opener due to back stiffness

Allrounder Shivam Dube has been pulled out of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy 2025-26 squad on the eve of their season opener against Jammu & Kashmir due to back stiffness. Dube flew home to Mumbai from Srinagar on Tuesday evening.

The move is believed to be precautionary, given he's also part of India's T20I squad that is set to leave for Australia on October 23 for a five-match series.

Dube had a prolific 2025 Asia Cup, where India captain Suryakumar Yadav regularly turned to him as a bowling option. In the final against Pakistan, he played a pivotal all-round role. Used as a new-ball option in Hardik Pandya's absence, he bowled three tight overs for just 23 runs and later scored a crucial 22-ball 33 as India sealed a tense chase.

While Dube will have to wait until after the Australia tour for a Ranji return, Mumbai will welcome back allrounder Musheer Khan, who missed the previous season due to a neck and collar-bone injury he suffered during a road accident.

Also back from injury is older brother, Sarfaraz Khan, who was ruled out of contention for the just-completed Test series against West Indies due to a quadriceps injury.

Mumbai will be captained by India allrounder Shardul Thakur, who takes over the mantle from Ajinkya Rahane, who is set to continue playing.

Rahane has been training for the season from as early as July, when he said on a Sky Sports podcast that he'd even carried his trainers and kit to the UK - while on a media assignment during India's Test tour - to be able to train for the upcoming season.

Mumbai, runners-up from the previous season, are in Group D alongside J&K, Hyderabad, Delhi, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The opening round of the new season against J&K has been billed as a rematch of last season's group fixture, which Mumbai lost by five wickets at the Bandra Kurla Complex grounds.