It is likely to be decided when the state selection panel headed by Praveen Kumar meet to finalise the team on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association’s AGM in Kanpur. It will be a toss up between batters Rinku Singh and Karan Sharma to lead Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
The remaining two selectors, Praveen Kumar and Rizwan Shamshad, will also observe probables for the U-23 side at Kanpur on Wednesday. “Karan has been quite successful in all formats of the game and has been doing well since he made it to the UP side in 2022. His 1000-plus runs in 24 first-class matches with four centuries and two half centuries speak volumes about his calibre,” he said. “He was dropped from the side last season after playing four matches, where he could score only 151 runs. In fact, Karan has scored a career-best 208 against Assam and played several match-defining innings, including a 67* in a tense chase against Mumbai while battling a wrist injury. They are confident about tried-and-tested players as UP prepares to begin its Elite Group A campaign against Bihar on October 11. The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy proved to be a standout season for Rinku at the domestic level. He recorded back-to-back centuries, beginning with an unbeaten 165 against Andhra Pradesh, which took Uttar Pradesh into a slender one-run lead and earned them three points in a drawn game.
The AGM will also announce the support staff for the various teams for the season. Confirmation will also be made on the re-appointment of Sanjay Kapoor and Sanjeev Singh in the UPT20 League governing council for another season. The AGM will also pick three new members in the senior selection panel as Ashish Winston Zaidi, Utkarsh Chandra and Mritunjay Tripathi have resigned. His ability to bat long, absorb pressure and finish games makes him a natural leader, which is why his consistent UPT20 League form is being linked to a possible return to the Ranji captaincy. He feels that Rinku Singh also deserves to lead the side as the selectors opt for continuity and reliability over sweeping changes. This innings was not only his highest first-class score at the time but also underscored his maturity as a batter capable of anchoring long innings.
The support staff will also remain familiar, with Gyanendra Pandey and Rahul Sapru taking up the jobs again, both having previously served as Ranji Trophy captains for Uttar Pradesh and coaches too.
