Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad named Cricketers of the Year as the Mumbai Cricket Association celebrates excellence and legacy at the MCA Awards; Ayush Mhatre and other World Cup stars felicitated
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) hosted a grand awards evening in Mumbai on Wednesday, celebrating excellence across the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons and honouring the outstanding performers who continue to shape Mumbai’s rich cricketing legacy while inspiring the next generation of champions.
The evening was attended by former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Rajeev Kulkarni and Diana Edulji, Hon’ble Cabinet Ministers Ashish Shelar and Aditi Tatkare, along with MCA President Ajinkya Naik. The presence of MCA Apex Council Members, Office Bearers, and players further underscored the collective strength and legacy of the Mumbai cricket ecosystem.
The evening spotlighted outstanding performances at the senior level, with Siddhesh Lad and Shardul Thakur being conferred the Justice Tendolkar Trophy for the Best Senior Cricketer for the 2025–26 and 2024–25 seasons, respectively, recognising their impactful contributions.
In a proud recognition of Mumbai’s contribution to Indian cricket, the MCA felicitated Ayush Mhatre, who led the Under-19 Men’s World Cup-winning team, along with other city-based players and coaches who were part of India’s recent World Cup triumphs. 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.
Mumbai’s dominance across domestic cricket in the 2024–25 season was further reinforced as MCA 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.
MCA continued its commitment to nurturing future talent through the Sharad Pawar Scholarships. The 2024–25 recipients included Naman Pushpak, Neeraj Dhumal, Shaurya Rai, Sanmaya Upadhyay, Ira Jadhav, and Yayati Gawad, while the 2025–26 scholarships were awarded to Shreyas Khilare, Rajveer Lad, Vedant Gore, Vansh Chumble, Siddhi Kamte, Ritika Yadav, Unnati Patil, and Mudra Khedekar.
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.
Reflecting on the significance of the evening, MCA President Ajinkya Naik said, “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 would also like to thank our distinguished guests for being part of this special evening, and congratulate all the awardees who continue to uphold the highest standards of Mumbai cricket.”
The MCA Awards stood as a celebration of achievement, legacy, and aspiration, bringing together the pillars of Mumbai cricket under one roof.
