LUCKNOW: With the return of Rinku Singh to the middle order, the formidable Uttar Pradesh is all set to lock horns with seasoned Haryana in their Elite Group C encounter of Ranji Trophy at the Sports Galaxy ground on Friday.
UP is determined to come out with all guns blazing in this crucial match and secure a victory to bolster their points tally after managing only one point from a draw against Bengal in the opening encounter.
An in-form Rinku Singh will provide a significant boost to the home team, and with skipper Aryan Juyal in fine touch—narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century against Bengal—alongside Priyam Garg, who helped UP eke out a draw with a fantastic ton, the team's batting looks strong.
With Siddhartha Yadav, who had a promising Ranji Trophy outing by scoring 75 runs in the previous match, the hosts' batting lineup is all set to take on the visitors.
Uttar Pradesh's bowling unit has also been impressive, with debutant leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam making an immediate impact by taking four wickets. The pace attack, led by the in-form Yash Dayal, who also claimed four wickets against Bengal, looks formidable. However, Aaqib Khan will miss this match as he will be on national duty for Emerging Asia Cup in Oman from October 18-27. Saurabh, Shivam Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot will give ample bowling options to skipper Aryan while former captain Nitish Rana can also bowls a few overs.
Historically, Haryana has the upper hand, winning four out of 12 encounters against UP, while UP has claimed victory twice, with the remaining six matches ending in draws.
In their season opener, Haryana defeated Bihar by an innings and 43 runs. The team received a boost with the addition of experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has rejoined the squad after playing county cricket for Northamptonshire. Chahal's return is expected to add depth and variety to Haryana's bowling attack; he was seen practicing in the nets.
In their first match, Haryana benefitted from a solid all-round performance by Jayant Yadav, who scored 55 runs and took 2 wickets for 17 runs, earning him the Player of the Match award in the low-scoring game in Rohtak. With experience from six Test matches, where he took 16 wickets and scored 248 runs, including one century, Jayant will be a key player against UP and is expected to form a strong bowling partnership with Chahal. The other Haryana batters had limited opportunities to shine in their first match, but they hope to perform well in the new venue.
Talking to TOI, UP coach Sunil Joshi expressed confidence in the squad’s preparation and eagerness for the upcoming match. He emphasised that the inclusion of Rinku Singh has infused the team with renewed motivation and strength, particularly enhancing the middle order. Joshi noted the buoyant and optimistic atmosphere among the younger players, attributing this positive energy to Rinku Singh's presence.
Meanwhile, local lad Zeeshan Ansari, currently serving as a net bowler, was spotted taking tips from Yuzvendra Chahal. "He is my role model, and I closely follow his performances. We discussed the basics, variations, and the approach to the crease," the leg-spinner shared.
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UP is determined to come out with all guns blazing in this crucial match and secure a victory to bolster their points tally after managing only one point from a draw against Bengal in the opening encounter.
An in-form Rinku Singh will provide a significant boost to the home team, and with skipper Aryan Juyal in fine touch—narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century against Bengal—alongside Priyam Garg, who helped UP eke out a draw with a fantastic ton, the team's batting looks strong.
With Siddhartha Yadav, who had a promising Ranji Trophy outing by scoring 75 runs in the previous match, the hosts' batting lineup is all set to take on the visitors.
Uttar Pradesh's bowling unit has also been impressive, with debutant leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam making an immediate impact by taking four wickets. The pace attack, led by the in-form Yash Dayal, who also claimed four wickets against Bengal, looks formidable. However, Aaqib Khan will miss this match as he will be on national duty for Emerging Asia Cup in Oman from October 18-27. Saurabh, Shivam Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot will give ample bowling options to skipper Aryan while former captain Nitish Rana can also bowls a few overs.
Historically, Haryana has the upper hand, winning four out of 12 encounters against UP, while UP has claimed victory twice, with the remaining six matches ending in draws.
In their season opener, Haryana defeated Bihar by an innings and 43 runs. The team received a boost with the addition of experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who has rejoined the squad after playing county cricket for Northamptonshire. Chahal's return is expected to add depth and variety to Haryana's bowling attack; he was seen practicing in the nets.
In their first match, Haryana benefitted from a solid all-round performance by Jayant Yadav, who scored 55 runs and took 2 wickets for 17 runs, earning him the Player of the Match award in the low-scoring game in Rohtak. With experience from six Test matches, where he took 16 wickets and scored 248 runs, including one century, Jayant will be a key player against UP and is expected to form a strong bowling partnership with Chahal. The other Haryana batters had limited opportunities to shine in their first match, but they hope to perform well in the new venue.
Talking to TOI, UP coach Sunil Joshi expressed confidence in the squad’s preparation and eagerness for the upcoming match. He emphasised that the inclusion of Rinku Singh has infused the team with renewed motivation and strength, particularly enhancing the middle order. Joshi noted the buoyant and optimistic atmosphere among the younger players, attributing this positive energy to Rinku Singh's presence.
Meanwhile, local lad Zeeshan Ansari, currently serving as a net bowler, was spotted taking tips from Yuzvendra Chahal. "He is my role model, and I closely follow his performances. We discussed the basics, variations, and the approach to the crease," the leg-spinner shared.
ALSO WATCH
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