Mumbai, Sep 4 (IANS) The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has planned to film a fly-on-the-wall documentary series following the 42-time champion senior men’s team through their upcoming domestic season and have asked for the permission of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to go ahead with it.

The project, which would be the first of its kind for a domestic cricket team in India, aims to chronicle Mumbai’s campaign across the Ranji Trophy, as well as their participation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. It is understood that Patrick Graham will be the director of the docuseries.

“We have requested a few permissions from the BCCI as we want to document the entire season of the Mumbai senior team. Whether it takes the form of a web series or a documentary will be decided as we progress, but the idea is to give fans a unique look at what goes on behind the scenes with the Mumbai team throughout the season,” said MCA President Ajinkya Naik to IANS on Friday.

Sporting documentaries have gained significant traction globally in recent years through hit docuseries such as Prime Video’s The Test, which followed the Australian men’s national side, along with similar behind-the-scenes productions in football and tennis. However, Indian cricket has rarely opened its doors to cameras, with Netflix’s 2019 series on five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians being a rare exception.

Naik stated the docuseries project aims to bridge the domestic team’s storied history with its current campaign as they chase further silverware in the 2026/27 domestic cricket season. “We want to capture the journey from Day 1 of our senior team’s preparations for the Ranji Trophy right through to the final match of the season. At the same time, we want to showcase Mumbai’s remarkable journey and the legacy behind its 42 Ranji Trophy titles.

“Mumbai cricket has such a rich heritage, and we felt – why not showcase it to the world? Let people see the preparation, discipline, hard work and culture that have made Mumbai the most successful team in Ranji Trophy history,” he added.

Naik added that the association hopes the docuseries will serve as an educational tool for aspiring players in the city looking to break into the professional circuit. “More importantly, this initiative will help youngsters understand what it takes to succeed at the highest level – the discipline, preparation, teamwork and commitment that define Mumbai cricket. It will give the next generation an opportunity to learn from our rich cricketing legacy and inspire them to carry it forward.”

Mumbai, who will be led by Siddhesh Lad in first-class cricket games, open their Ranji Trophy campaign on October 11 against Chandigarh. India’s 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup winning captain Suryakumar Yadav and current T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer are expected to feature during the white-ball legs of the domestic cricket season for Mumbai.

–IANS

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