Siddhesh Lad

Cricket runs in the family. His father, Dinesh Lad, is a well-known coach in Mumbai cricket, and Rohit Sharma is among the other players to have learned under him. Siddesh first drew attention by leading the Western Wolves in the Toyota University Cricket Championship. He then progressed through the age-group levels and earned his first appearance for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy during the 2013 season.

It did not take long for him to make a mark on important games. In the final of the 2015-16 season he made 88, putting together valuable runs alongside the lower order. His most productive season came in 2017-18, when he finished as Mumbai's leading run-getter with 652 runs from seven matches, one of the few positives in what was otherwise a poor season for the team.

His approach at the crease is often described as old-fashioned, built around the patience to occupy the crease for long periods from the lower middle order. The Duleep Trophy has been another stage where his efforts have consistently been rewarded. On the franchise front, the Mumbai Indians handed him an IPL contract in 2015 and he has stayed with the franchise, but his image as a defensive batsman has kept him from breaking into their playing eleven.