Mumbai and Delhi players - (Source: X.com)On Thursday, January 29, round six of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 commenced with 19 matches being held across India. Two heavyweights, Mumbai and Delhi, locked horns against each other at the MCA ground in BKC on Thursday. Ahead of the crucial match, both teams observed two minutes of silence to pay tribute to late Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash on Wednesday, January 28. MCA honours Ajit Pawar’s legacyEven before the start of the match, the MCA had announced that Mumbai and Delhi would observe two minutes of silence and would also wear black armbands to pay tribute to Pawar, who had worked for the state for several decades. "A moment of silence was observed before the Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Delhi to pay tribute to the late Hon. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajitdada Pawar, honouring his memory and contributions," wrote MCA on their social media handle.What happened to Ajit Pawar?Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra's long-serving Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader, tragically died on January 28, 2026, in a plane crash near Baramati Airport. The private plane, carrying him from Mumbai for local election rallies, skidded off the runway during landing, burst into flames, and killed Pawar along with four others.Pawar, a key figure in Maharashtra politics for decades, Pawar was Sharad Pawar’s nephew, who served as BCCI president from 2005-2008. Notably, Ajit Pawar’s death prompted a three-day mourning period, state honours for the last rites on January 29 in Baramati, and condolences from PM Modi and CM Fadnavis, creating a political vacuum.Mumbai and Delhi off to a contrasting start in Ranji TrophyThe red-ball domestic tournament returns after a long hiatus, and both Delhi and Mumbai are looking for a berth in knock-out stages. However, both teams have had contrasting seasons so far. Mumbai are placed on top of the table with three wins and two draws in five matches.Meanwhile, Delhi are searching for its first win of the tournament and have four draws in five matches. The side from North are placed sixth on the list. Talking about the ongoing match, at the time of writing this article, Delhi are batting first and have already lost one wicket with 43 runs on the board.Delhi without regular skipper Ayush BadoniDelhi are in trouble even before the start because they are without their regular skipper Ayush Badoni. Notably, Badoni earned a maiden India call-up for the T20I series vs New Zealand. Therefore, Ayush missed the ongoing Ranji Trophy match, and Ayush Doseja is leading the team in his absence."Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya will not be playing in tomorrow's Ranji Trophy clash, as they have been named in the India A sq slated to play Men's T20 World Cup warm-up games against USA and Namibia in Navi Mumbai and Bengaluru, respectively," remarked Ashok Sharma.Further, Delhi are also without Priyansh Arya, who alongside Ayush Badoni are picked for the India A squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up games against USA and Namibia.
