Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has decided to scrap India cricketer Suresh Raina as the captain for the upcoming edition of the Ranji Trophy.
Meanwhile, Akshdeep Nath will take over the reigns after finishing as the highest run-scorer of the side in the last season. However, Suresh Raina will continue to lead the team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The decision to drop Raina as captain of the team in first-class cricket came after his poor show with the bat in the last season. The southpaw managed to score 105 runs in nine innings at a paltry average of 11.66. On the other hand, Akshdeep scored 387 runs at an average of 43.00. His success at the highest order has got him to top of the Uttar Pradesh team.
Akshdeep, however, will have to wait for a while as Suresh Raina will lead in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This will be an opportunity for him to score runs and present a case to the selectors for the ODI series against Windies. The selectors dropped Raina from the upcoming Asia Cup squad. Ambati Rayudu made a comeback to the team after clearing the Yo-Yo Test.
Ahead of 2019 World Cup, it is crucial for Suresh Raina to score runs in List A cricket and be in contention to be part of the side in next year’s tournament.
Uttar Pradesh plays Saurashtra in their first game of Vijay Hazare Trophy on September 19 before taking on Chattisgarh on September 21. They will go on to face Odisha (September 23), Delhi (September 24), Hyderabad (September 28), Madhya Pradesh (September 30), Kerala (October 4) and Andhra Pradesh (October 6) in their next matches. The knockout stage of the tournament will start on October 14.
After the completion of the tournament, Akshdeep Nath will take over the charge for Ranji Trophy. Uttar Pradesh kicks off their Ranji Trophy campaign against Goa from November 1.