Pawar ready to embrace the challenge of heading Mumbai’s selection panel

For Rajesh Pawar, the appointment as chairman of Mumbai’s senior men’s selection committee is both a recognition of years spent nurturing talent and a challenge he is eager to embrace.

“It is an honour but even more importantly, a huge responsibility,” Pawar told The Hindu after the Mumbai Cricket Association announced its selection panels for the 2026-27 season. “Along with all my colleagues, I will try my best in order to select the best possible winning combination that will hopefully bring more titles to Mumbai across formats.”

The former left-arm spinner replaces Sanjay Patil at the helm of the senior selection committee at a time when Mumbai is looking to bounce back from a trophy-less domestic season. Having won the Ranji Trophy in 2023-24 and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024-25 under coach Omkar Salvi, Mumbai could not add to its glittering trophy cabinet last season.

Pawar believes his prolonged association with Mumbai’s age-group structure will prove beneficial in his new role. “For most of the last five years, I have been involved in the U-23 coaching set-up, so I know all the promising players in Mumbai. The familiarity aspect will also come in handy for everyone,” he said.

It is that grounding in Mumbai’s talent pipeline that perhaps distinguishes Pawar’s candidature. A veteran of 83 First Class matches for Mumbai, Baroda and Andhra, besides appearances for West Zone and India A, Pawar seamlessly transitioned into coaching after retirement.

He was rewarded when he guided Mumbai’s Under-23 side to the CK Nayudu Trophy title in the 2022-23 season, a campaign that showcased the depth of the city’s next generation.

More recently, Pawar served as head coach of Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the T20 Mumbai League, working closely with a squad led by India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Among the MCA’s structural changes this season is the introduction of a dedicated Under-23 selection committee, a move Pawar has wholeheartedly endorsed.

“The Under-23 selection committee is an extremely welcome development. During my U-23 coaching set-up, we realised that for the senior selection committee to look after two teams is a huge challenge. It’s a good move to have separate selection committees in place for the senior and U-23 teams,” Pawar said.