The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, set to begin on October 15. Abhimanyu Easwaran will continue to lead the side, with young wicket-keeper batter Abishek Porel named as his deputy.
Bengal, placed in Elite Group C, will kick off their campaign against Uttarakhand at Eden Gardens. While Bengal have been consistent contenders in recent seasons, they will be eager to turn that form into silverware this time.
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Mohammed Shami returns as Bengal name strong pace unit for Ranji Trophy 2025-26
The biggest boost for Bengal comes in the form of Mohammed Shami's return. The India pacer, along with Akash Deep, adds firepower to the team's bowling.
Their presence is expected to bring both experience and depth to the pace attack, which also includes Ishan Porel and Vikash Singh. The team will look to strike early with the ball, especially on home pitches where seamers have often played a decisive role.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla continues as the team's head coach, assisted by Arup Bhattacharjee and Shib Shankar Paul. Charanjit Singh Matharu remains the fielding coach.
Bengal's Ranji Trophy 2025-26 squad
Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Abishek Porel (vice-captain/wk), Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Sudip Chatterjee, Sumanta Gupta, Saurabh Kumar Singh, Vishal Bhati, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Ishan Porel, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Rahul Prasad, Sumit Mohanta, Vikash Singh
Bengal's first two matches will be played at home - against Uttarakhand (October 15) and Gujarat (October 25), before they hit the road for the rest of the group stage fixtures. With a mix of experience and youth, the team will be looking for a deep run in this year's tournament.
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