Arjun Tendulkar misses out as Goa announce 16-member squad for 2026-27 Ranji Trophy

The Goa Cricket Association announced their 16-member squad for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy on Friday, October 9, 2026, with Abhinav Tejrana named as captain. The most notable development from the selection is the omission of Arjun Tendulkar, who has been a part of the Goa setup since the 2022-23 season.

Tendulkar, 27, is the son of cricket great Sachin Tendulkar. He had recently completed 50 wickets in first-class cricket for Goa, but his absence from this squad follows a period in which he also missed Goa’s tour of Oman. His last appearance for the state side came in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy against Kerala at Porvorim, and he has also featured for Goa in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Goa open their 2026-27 Ranji Trophy campaign against Baroda in Elite Group A on October 11, 2026, at Panaji. The 92nd edition of the tournament runs from October 11, 2026, to March 3, 2027.

Who will lead and support Goa’s coaching setup for the 2026-27 season?

Goa’s support staff for the upcoming campaign has been confirmed alongside the playing squad. The team’s management includes experienced figures across coaching and administration roles, providing a structured setup ahead of their opening fixture against Baroda.

“The team will be guided by head coach Dinesh Mongia, with Krishna Rao serving as bowling coach, Senior Men’s Director of Coaching and Cricket Operations Prakash Mayenkar, and manager Anil Joglekar,” an Instagram post read as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“Goa Cricket Association president Mahesh Desai, secretary Tulshidas Shetye and the entire Managing Committee extended their best wishes to the team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament. They conveyed their support and wished the squad success as it prepares to represent Goa on the domestic cricket stage,” it added.

Why is Arjun Tendulkar’s omission significant for Goa cricket?

Arjun Tendulkar has been a regular presence in Goa’s domestic cricket setup since joining the state side ahead of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season. His recent milestone of 50 first-class wickets for Goa underlined his contribution to the team’s bowling attack over those seasons.

His absence from the 2026-27 squad is notable given that milestone, and it comes after he also sat out Goa’s tour of Oman. The selectors have not offered a public explanation for his exclusion, and no injury has been confirmed as the reason for his omission.

Goa full squad for 2026-27 Ranji Trophy

Abhinav Tejrana (Captain), Suyash Prabhudesai, Manthan Khutkar, Lalit Yadav, Snehal Kauthankar, Shivendra Bhujbal, Koushik V, Shubham Tari, Ruthvik Naik, Darshan Misal, Yash Kasvankar, Amulya Pandrekar, Deepraj Gaonkar, Rajshekhar Harikant, Mohit Redkar, Felix Alemao.