The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has rung in a significant change at the top of its senior team management by appointing former left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee, while retaining Omkar Salvi as head coach for a fourth successive domestic season.

Pawar succeeds his former spin colleague Sanjay Patil, whose two-year tenure yielded only one major title – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph in the 2024-25 season. The MCA also replaced Deepak Jadhav in the senior men’s panel, bringing in former Mumbai pacer Ravi Kulkarni as a selector.

The appointments, announced on Thursday as part of MCA’s selection committees and coaching structure for the 2026-27 domestic season, underline the association’s intent to balance continuity with change. While the selectors’ panel has undergone a reshuffle following a disappointing trophy-less campaign last season, the faith reposed in Salvi reflects the association’s satisfaction with the direction of the senior side under his stewardship.

Salvi, who first took charge ahead of the 2023-24 season, guided Mumbai to its record-extending Ranji Trophy title in his debut year before adding the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024-25. His reappointment means he will become the longest-serving Mumbai coach since Pravin Amre’s five-season stint that began in 2006-07, a rarity in an ecosystem where coaching tenures have been results-driven.

Another notable development is the creation of a dedicated Under-23 men’s selection committee. With Mumbai’s senior and Under-23 teams playing a packed domestic calendar, the move is aimed at ensuring broader match coverage and more focused talent identification. The association believes a separate panel will help track performances across the region’s vast cricket structure and strengthen the pathway between age-group and senior cricket. Deepak Jadhav will chair the panel.

The MCA also announced appointments for its women’s teams, with Manish More heading the senior women’s selection committee and Ajay Kadam taking charge as head coach, as the association continues its efforts to strengthen the game’s structure across all levels.

The selection committees

Men’s:

Senior: Rajesh Pawar (Chairman), Ravi Thakkar, Jeetendra Thackeray, Vikrant Yeligati, Ravi Kulkarni.

Under-23: Deepak Jadhav (Chairman), Umesh Gotkhindikar, Omkar Khanvilkar, Anoop Sabnis, Shridhar Mandale.

Under-19: Mandar Phadke (Chairman), Vishal Dabholkar. Zulfiqar Parkar, Amol Bhalekar, Jayprakash Jadhav.

Under-16: Piyush Soneji (Chairman), Sudhakar Harmalkar, Anirudh Kher, Prashant Sawant, Kersi Pawri.

Under-14: Azeem Khan (Chairman), Amit Jadhav, Sunil Kulkarni, Santosh Jagtap, Jaideep Pal.

Women’s:

Manish More (Chairman), Kalpana Cardoso, Aparna Chavan, Ashish Mahadeshwar, Seema Pujare.

Under-19: Sunita Singh (Chairperson), Sangeeta Kamat, Veena Paralkar, Kalpana Murkar, Sheetal Sakru.

Under-15: Nancy Daruwala (Chairperson), Nilima Patil, Swati Patil, Mangesh Darekar, Soham Dalvi.