Mumbai Cricket Honours Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-04-23

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) just pulled off one of its biggest nights. On Wednesday, April 22, they celebrated the top players from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 cricket seasons in a grand awards ceremony. Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad walked away with the prestigious Justice Tendolkar Trophy for Best Senior Cricketer. It was a night full of legends, too. Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar were there, adding some serious star power. MCA President Ajinkya Naik hosted the whole thing, and they honored everyone from junior prodigies to World Cup heroes. ### Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad Take Top Honors The highlight of the evening was definitely the Cricketer of the Year awards. Shardul Thakur snagged the title for the 2024-25 season. Siddhesh Lad followed suit, winning for the 2025-26 season. Thakur is a key all-rounder for Mumbai. During the 2024-25 domestic season, he became the captain of the Mumbai team for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy. He replaced veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane in that role. Thakur said he's pumped to lead the 42-time champions and learn the ropes of captaincy. Siddhesh Lad had an incredible 2025-26 season. He scored 774 runs in eight matches, including a record five centuries. At one point, Lad almost quit cricket because he lost his motivation. But his family and MCA President Ajinkya Naik pushed him to keep going. And boy, did that pay off. He ended up rewriting Ranji Trophy records.  ### World Cup Winners Get Their Due The MCA also used the gala to honor Mumbai-based players who won World Cups for India. Several local stars played huge roles in national triumphs over the last two years. The association presented special awards to these international heroes. India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav got a warm welcome. All-rounder Shivam Dube joined him on stage for his work in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup win. They also recognized Ayush Mhatre for leading the Indian Under-19 Men's team to a world title in 2026. Abhigyan Kundu, another member of that winning squad, got an award too. Women's cricket had a big moment. Jemimah Rodrigues received honors for her role in India's first Women's ODI World Cup win. The MCA also celebrated the women's national team coaching staff, including head coach Amol Muzumdar and bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi. Sanika Chalke got an award for her performance in the Under-19 Women's World Cup victory.  ### Junior Talents and Sharad Pawar Scholarships The Sharad Pawar Scholarship, run by the MCA, gives financial support to talented young cricketers. For the 2024-25 season, Naman Pushpak, Neeraj Dhumal, and Shaurya Rai received the scholarship. Other winners were Sanmaya Upadhyay, Ira Jadhav, and Yayati Gawad. The 2025-26 scholarship batch featured Shreyas Khilare, Rajveer Lad, and Vedant Gore. Vansh Chumble, Siddhi Kamte, Ritika Yadav, Unnati Patil, and Mudra Khedekar also got this support. For individual junior awards, Abhigyan Kundu won the Late Shri Shantibai Seth Trophy as the Best Junior Cricketer for 2024-25. Karthik Kumar won the same award for the 2025-26 season. Ira Jadhav was named Best Junior Cricketer for 2024-25 in the Women's category. Sanmaya Upadhyay won for 2025-26 in the same category. ### Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Awards The Lifetime Achievement Awards recognized decades of service to the game. This included both players and administrators who worked behind the scenes. For the 2024-25 cycle, the MCA honored former cricketer Chandrakant Patankar. Administrator Ravindra Savant also received a Lifetime Achievement award for his work with the association. For the 2025-26 season, Shobha Pandit received the cricketer's award. Shrikant Tigdi was honored for his administrative contributions. > "It's amazing to see how cricket brings everyone together, from young kids dreaming big to legends who've done it all," said MCA President Ajinkya Naik during the ceremony. The night wasn't just about trophies. It was a reminder that cricket in Mumbai is alive and kicking. From the juniors getting their first big break to the World Cup winners soaking in the applause, everyone had a reason to smile. The MCA made sure no one was left out, and that's what made this event so special.