The Indian cricket fraternity is abuzz with speculation following reports that Yashasvi Jaiswal, one of the country’s brightest young talents, allegedly kicked the kitbag of Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane in a moment of frustration during the 2025 Ranji Trophy season. The incident has added fuel to rumors of a deepening rift between the two players, culminating in Jaiswal’s reported decision to leave Mumbai for Goa ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. While neither party has officially confirmed the event, the story has taken the cricketing world by storm, raising questions about team dynamics, leadership, and Jaiswal’s future.

Yashasvi Jaiswal kicked Ajinkya Rahane’s kitbag?

According to sources close to the Mumbai dressing room as reported by India Today, the alleged altercation took place following Mumbai’s loss to Jammu and Kashmir in a group-stage match of the Ranji Trophy. Jaiswal, who has been a standout performer for India and Mumbai in recent years, struggled in the game, scoring just 4 and 26 across the two innings.

The defeat reportedly left the team in a tense mood, with captain Rahane and head coach Omkar Salvi questioning Jaiswal’s commitment and shot selection. Frustrated by the criticism, Jaiswal is said to have lashed out by kicking Rahane’s kitbag, an act that stunned onlookers and underscored the growing tension within the squad.

Though unverified by official statements, the incident has been widely discussed in cricketing circles, with some suggesting it was the breaking point in an already strained relationship between the young opener and his captain.

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A history of friction

The roots of this alleged fallout trace back to 2022, during the Duleep Trophy final between West Zone and South Zone. Jaiswal, then a rising star, scored a match-defining double century but found himself at odds with Rahane, who was captaining West Zone. Rahane sent Jaiswal off the field for excessive sledging against South Zone’s Ravi Teja, a decision that reportedly left the youngster humiliated despite his stellar performance. The episode was seen as a disciplinary move by Rahane, but it sowed the seeds of discord between the two.

Since then, Jaiswal’s aggressive playing style and occasional lapses in discipline have reportedly been points of contention with the Mumbai team management, including Rahane and Salvi. Insiders claim that the 2025 Ranji season saw these tensions boil over, with the kitbag incident serving as a dramatic manifestation of their differences.

Jaiswal’s move to Goa: A new chapter

Perhaps the most significant fallout from this saga is Jaiswal’s decision to part ways with Mumbai, the team that nurtured his early career, and join Goa for the 2025-26 domestic season. The move has shocked fans and analysts alike, given Mumbai’s storied legacy and Jaiswal’s deep ties to the side.

The switch has fueled speculation that Jaiswal sought an escape from the scrutiny and perceived lack of support in Mumbai, with the kitbag incident potentially acting as the final straw.

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The Duleep Trophy is an important domestic cricket tournament in India, featuring some of the top rising stars in the country. After a three-season gap, the tournament was reintroduced last year, and the West Zone emerged as the champion by defeating the South Zone in the final held at Coimbatore.

In the previous edition, Yashasvi Jaiswal was the leading run-scorer with 497 runs, while R Sai Kishore topped the bowling charts with 17 wickets. Jaydev Unadkat was awarded the Player of the Series for claiming 13 wickets in 5 innings.

The Duleep Trophy for the 2023 season will kick off with a Quarterfinal stage. The finalists from the 2022-23 season, West Zone and South Zone, will receive direct entry to the Semifinals. The other teams, Central Zone, North Zone, North East Zone and East Zone, will compete in the quarterfinal matches.

The tournament is scheduled to start on June 28 in Bengaluru, with all fixtures taking place at the same venue. The final will be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from July 12 to July 16.

In the Quarterfinals, Central Zone will face East Zone, with the winner advancing to the semifinals against West Zone. North East Zone and North Zone will compete for a spot in the semifinals against South Zone.

The quarterfinals and Semifinals will be a four-day contest, while the final will be a five-day game. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the final.

Schedule

• Quarterfinal 1: Central Zone vs East Zone, June 28 – July 1, Alur Cricket Ground
• Quarterfinal 2: North Zone vs North East Zone, June 28 – July 1, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
• Semifinal 1: West Zone vs Winner of QF 1, July 5-8, Alur Cricket Ground
• Semifinal 2: South Zone vs Winner of QF 2, July 5-8, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
• Final: Winner of SF1 vs Winner of SF2, July 12-16, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

The teams will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran (East Zone), Mandeep Singh (North Zone), Priyank Panchal (West Zone), Shivam Mavi (Central Zone), Hanuma Vihari (South Zone) and Rongsen Jonathan (North East Zone).

Duleep Trophy 2023 squads:

East Zone: Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Santanu Mishra, Sudip Gharami, Riyan Parag, A. Majumdar, Bipin Saurabh, A Porel (wk), K Kushagra (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem (vc), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Anukul Roy, M Mura Singh, Ishan Porel.

West Zone: Priyank Panchal (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harvik Desai (wk), Prithvi Shaw, Het Patel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Arpit Vasavada, Atit Seth, Shams Mulani, Yuvraj Dodiya, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya, Chintan Gaja, Arzan Nagwaswalla.

North Zone: Mandeep Singh (c), Prashant Chopra, Dhruv Shorey, Manan Vohra, Prabhsimran Singh, Ankit Kumar, AS Kalsi, Harshit Rana, Abid Mushtaq, Jayant Yadav, Pulkit Narang, Nishant Sandhu, Sidharth Kaul, Vaibhav Arora, Baltej Singh. Standby players: Mayank Dagar, Mayank Markande, Ravi Chauhan, Anmol Mahotra, Nehal Wadhera, Diwesh Pathania, Divij Mehra, Kunal Mahajan.

Central Zone: Shivam Mavi (c), Vivek Singh, Himanshu Mantri, Kunal Chandela, Shubham Sharma, Amandeep Khare, Rinku Singh, Akshay Wadkar, Upendra Yadav (vc), Dhruv Jurel, Saurabh Kumar, Manav Sathar, Saransh Jain, Avesh Khan, Yash Thakur.

Northeast Zone: Rongsen Jonathan(c), Nilesh Lamichaney (vc), Kishan Lyngdoh, Langlonyamba, A.R. Ahlawat, Joseph Lalthankhuma, Prafullamani (wk), Dippu Sangma, Jotin Pheiroijam, Imliwati Lemtur, Palzor Tamang, Kishan Sinha, Akash Kumar Choudhary, Rajkumar Rex Singh, Nagaho Chishi. Reserves: Lee Yong Lepcha, Nabam Abo, Dika Ralte.

South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (c), Mayank Agarwal (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Ricky Bhui (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Samarth, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, V Vyshak, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal, Tilak Varma.

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