MCA names Shardul Thakur, Siddhesh Lad as Cricketers of the Year; Ayush Mhatre, SKY, Dube feted
Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Siddhesh Lad and Shardul Thakur were conferred the Justice Tendolkar Trophy for the Best Senior Cricketer for the 2025/26 and 2024/25 seasons, respectively, as the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) hosted a grand awards evening in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The evening celebrated excellence across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, with the MCA 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.
The 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.
Complete list of awardees and recognitions:
For 2024/25 Season:
Special Prize for the Best Junior Cricketer (Women’s) 2024-25: Ira Jadhav
Late Shri S.S. Rangnekar Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-14) 2024-25: Shane Raza
Late Kumar M.V.Dabhir Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-16) 2024-25: Advait Bhat
Special Prize for the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-16) for Outstanding Performance 2024-25: Tanish Shetty
Late Shri B.Banerjee Award For the Best Fast Bowler (Under-19) 2024-25: Hrishikesh Gore
Late Shri L.P.Jai Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-19) 2024-25: Naman Pushpak
Late Shri Shantibai Seth Trophy For the Best Junior Cricketer 2024-25: Abhigyan Kundu
Special Prize for the Best Senior Cricketer (Women’s) 2024-25: Vrushali Bhagat
Special Prize for Outstanding Performance Men’s U-23 2024-25: Ayush Vartak
Late Shri Shavak Paghdiwala Trophy For taking the Highest Number of Wickets In Ranji Trophy (2024-25 & 2025-26) and Special Prize for Fastest Century in Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Shams Mulani
Late Shri S. V. Rajadyaksha Trophy For scoring the Highest Number of Runs In Ranji Trophy (2024-25 & 2025-26) and Justice Tendolkar Trophy for the Best Senior Cricketer (2025-26): Siddhesh Lad
Sharad Pawar Scholarship 2024-25: Naman Pushpak, Neeraj Dhumal, Shaurya Rai, Sanmaya Upadhyay, Ira Jadhav, and Yayati Gawad
For valuable contribution towards the upgradation of the maidan facilities: Dipesh Nirupan
Best Senior tournament organisers 2024-25: Purshottam Shield
Best Junior tournament organisers 2024-25: Shamrao Thosar Shield
Best performing team in local tournaments 2024-25 (Kanga League 2nd Position, President cup Winner, Women’s League B Div 2nd Position, Bhama Cup Winner, and Young Comrade Semi Finalist): MIG CC
Special Award to the club that provided their ground for the maximum MCA matches 2024-25: LIC Cricket Club, Cross Maidan
Glory of Maidan Award 2024-25: Daya Dudhwadkar
Lifetime Achievement Award 2024-25 – Cricketer: Chandrakant Patankar
Lifetime Achievement Award 2024-25 – Administrator: Ravindra Savant
Dattu Phadkar Award for the Best Ranji Trophy Cricketer of the Year (2024-25) and Justice Tendolkar Trophy for the Best Senior Cricketer of the Year (2024-25): Shardul Thakur
Winners 2024-25: Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sr. Women’s T20 Trophy, Under 14 West Zone Championship, Under 23 Women One Days, Vijay Merchant Trophy Under 16, Under 15 Girls One-days
For 2025/26 Season:
Special Prize for the Best Junior Cricketer (Women’s) 2025-26: Sanmaya Upadhyay
Late Shri S.S.Rangnekar Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-14) 2025-26: Shreyas Khilare
Late Kumar M.V.Dabhir Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-16) 2025-26: Ayush Shete
Special Prize for the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-16) 2025-26 and Late Shri Shantibai Seth Trophy For the Best Junior Cricketer 2025-26: Karthik Kumar
Late Shri B.Banerjee Award For the Best Fast Bowler (Under-19) 2025-26: Vedant Bane and Sarthak Bhide
Late Shri L.P.Jai Award For the Best Junior Cricketer (Under-19) 2025-26: Harsh Aghav
Special Prize for the Best Senior Cricketer (Women’s) 2025-26: Sayali Satghare
Special Prize for Outstanding Performance Men’s U-23 2025-26: Suryansh Shedge
Special Prize for Fastest Century in Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Akash Anand
Sharad Pawar Scholarship 2025-26: Shreyas Khilare, Rajveer Lad, Vedant Gore, Vansh Chumble, Siddhi Kamte, Ritika Yadav, Unnati Patil, and Mudra Khedekar
Best Senior tournament organisers 2025-26: Police Invitational Shield
Best Junior tournament organisers 2025-26: U-14 Late Ajit Naik Cricket Tournament
Best performing team in local tournaments 2025-26 (Padmakar Talim Shield Winner, Young Comrade Winner, Women’s League C Div Winner, President Cup Women’s C & D Div Winner): Dr D Y Patil Sports Academy
Special Award to the club that provided their ground for the maximum MCA matches 2025-26: Western Railway Cross Maidan
Special Award for Contribution to Women’s Cricket: Surekha Bhandare
Glory of Maidan Award 2025-26: A. R. Kamath
Lifetime Achievement Award 2025-26 – Cricketer: Shobha Pandit
Lifetime Achievement Award 2025-26 – Administrator: Shrikant Tigdi
Under-19 Women’s World Cup Winner: Sanika Chalke
Under-19 World Cup Winners: Ayush Mhatre and Abhigyan Kundu
Women’s World Cup Winners: Jemimah Rodrigues, Amol Muzumdar, and Aavishkar Salvi
T20 World Cup Winners: Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube
Hattrick of BCCI Best Association Award: Mumbai Cricket Association
–IANS
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