As the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 approaches, Uttar Pradesh has officially announced its squad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been appointed as the captain of Uttar Pradesh for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
The team also includes notable players such as Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, and Yash Dayal. This year’s tournament comes just before the IPL 2025 mega auction, adding to the excitement surrounding the cricketing calendar.
Leadership Change
Last year, Karan Sharma captained the Uttar Pradesh team, but this season, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will take on the leadership role. His experience and skills will be crucial as the team aims to reclaim its past glory. Another senior player joining the team is Rinku Singh. However, he has not been given any leadership roles.
This has stirred discontent among his fans. Bhuvneshwar’s appointment marks a significant moment for Uttar Pradesh cricket. The team last won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2015-16 under the captaincy of Suresh Raina. Since then, they have faced challenges in replicating that success.
Team Composition and Challenges
Uttar Pradesh’s squad includes four players who have previously represented India at the international level. However, Dhruv Jurel will not be part of this year’s team as he has traveled to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was last seen playing in the UP T20 League.
There, he took only seven wickets in 11 matches. In the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Uttar Pradesh reached the quarter-finals but lost to Punjab by five wickets. This year, they aim to perform better and advance further in the tournament.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Released by SRH
The Sunrisers Hyderabad released Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. He represented the franchise from 2014 to 2024. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 181 wickets in 176 matches.
Thus, he is expected to attract significant interest from various franchises during the auction. SRH retained five players while spending ₹75 crore on their roster. The retained players include Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen.
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Uttar Pradesh’s last championship win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy came nine years ago. Tamil Nadu holds the record for winning this tournament three times, while Punjab claimed victory last year. The upcoming tournament presents an opportunity for Uttar Pradesh to revive its fortunes and aim for another title.
Uttar Pradesh Team for Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2024-25: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Madhav Kaushik, Karan Sharma, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Swastik Chikara, Priyam Garg, Aryan Juya,l Aditya Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Vipraj Nigam, Kartikeya Jaiswal, Shivam Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mohsin Khan, Aaqib Khan, Shivam Mavi, and Vineet Pandey
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