Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has officially named Prithvi Shaw as the captain for Maharashtra in the upcoming 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Just two days ago, the MCA had announced Ruturaj Gaikwad as the skipper in their 16-man squad for the domestic T20 tournament. However, with Gaikwad being called up for the India vs South Africa ODI series, he won’t be able to lead Maharashtra. Interestingly, the MCA hadn’t appointed a vice-captain. According to Sportstar, the board has now decided to elevate Prithvi as Gaikwad’s replacement. The official announcement is set to be made on November 24, just two days before Maharashtra kicks off their SMAT campaign against Jammu & Kashmir. Read also: Ashes 2025-26: How Travis Head’s Explosive Knock Take the Match Away From England? The selectors and management had already briefed Prithvi about stepping in if Gaikwad had to withdraw, so he’s been preparing to take the reins when needed. This promotion comes at a perfect time for Prithvi, especially since he’s eager to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after going unsold in last year’s auction. Prithvi has been in fantastic form since moving from Mumbai to Maharashtra. In the first leg of the 2025-26 season, he racked up 470 runs at an impressive average of 67.14 over 7 innings, including one double century and three half-centuries. Maharashtra has been placed in Group B for the SMAT. Alongside Jammu & Kashmir, they’ll also be up against Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Goa. All their league matches will take place in Kolkata. Maharashtra full squad for SMAT 2025-26 Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nikhil Naik, Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Jalaj Saxena, Azim Kazi, Arshin Kulkarni, Mukesh Choudhary, Vicky Ostwal, Prashant Solanki, Mandar Bhandari, Yogesh Dongare, Ranjeet Nikam, Tanay Sanghvi