Shardul Thakur, Siddhesh Lad Named Cricketers of the Year at MCA Awards

Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad were honoured as Cricketers of the Year for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons respectively at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Awards ceremony held here on Wednesday.

Thakur and Lad received the prestigious Justice Tendulkar Trophy , awarded to the best senior cricketer for their respective seasons.

The ceremony also recognised several Mumbai-based players and coaches for their contributions to India’s success in global tournaments. Young batter Ayush Mhatre was felicitated for captaining India’s Under-19 team to a record-extending sixth ICC U-19 World Cup title earlier this year in South Africa, alongside wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube were honoured for their role in India’s third T20 World Cup triumph last month.

In women’s cricket, Jemimah Rodrigues, head coach Amol Muzumdar, and bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi were recognised for their contributions to India’s maiden ODI World Cup victory last year. Sanika Chalke, a member of the Under-19 women’s World Cup-winning squad, was also honoured.

The MCA highlighted Mumbai’s continued dominance in domestic cricket during the 2024–25 season, with multiple title wins across age groups, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy , Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, and Vijay Merchant Trophy, among others.

The event was attended by cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar, along with former players and officials. Vengsarkar encouraged young cricketers to prioritise contributing to Mumbai’s success alongside pursuing opportunities in leagues like the IPL.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were also presented, with Shobha Pandit and Shrikant Tigdi honoured for 2025–26, while Chandrakant Patankar and Ravindra Savant were recognised for 2024–25 for their long-standing contributions to Mumbai cricket.

MCA president Ajinkya Naik emphasised the association’s commitment to strengthening its cricketing ecosystem and nurturing the next generation of players.