Thakur, Lad, Mhatre headline MCA honours

Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad have been named Cricketers of the Year by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). At an awards function on Wednesday, Lad and Thakur were conferred the Justice Tendulkar Trophy for the Best Senior Cricketer for the 2025-26 and 2024-25 seasons, respectively.

The grand evening was attended, among others, by former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Rajeev Kulkarni and Diana Edulji. State Cabinet Ministers Ashish Shelar and Aditi Tatkare were present, with MCA president Ajinkya Naik presiding over the function.

In another proud recognition of Mumbai's contribution to Indian cricket, the MCA felicitated Ayush Mhatre, who led India to the Under-19 Men's World Cup title. Other city-based players and coaches who were part of India's recent World Cup triumphs were also honoured.

This included captain Suryakumar Yadav alongside Shivam Dube from the Men's T20 World Cup-winning side; Sanika Chalke from the Under-19 Women's World Cup-winning squad; Abhigyan Kundu from the Under-19 Men's World Cup-winning team; and Jemimah Rodrigues, Amol Muzumdar, and Aavishkar Salvi from the Women's World Cup-winning contingent, reflecting Mumbai's continued contribution to national success.

The MCA also felicitated its champion teams that clinched major titles, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Senior Women's T20 Trophy, Under-14 West Zone Championship, Under-23 Women's One-Day Trophy, Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under-16), and the Women's Under-15 One-Day Trophy, underlining the association's sustained excellence across age groups and formats.

The ceremony also honoured stalwarts of the game with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Shobha Pandit (Cricketer) and Shrikant Tigdi (Administrator) were recognised for 2025-26, while Chandrakant Patankar (Cricketer) and Ravindra Savant (Administrator) were honoured for 2024-25, celebrating decades of contribution to Mumbai cricket.

"This evening stands as a powerful testament to the standards Mumbai cricket sets for itself - uncompromising excellence, built on legacy and driven by relentless ambition. These achievements are not just milestones, but benchmarks for the future. Our focus remains clear: to strengthen this ecosystem, elevate performance, and ensure the next generation carries this legacy forward at an even greater scale. I congratulate all the awardees who continue to uphold the highest standards of Mumbai cricket," MCA president Naik said.