Lucknow to host two Ranji, one U-23 matches this season
LUCKNOW The newly-appointed captain of Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy team Akshdeep Nath will get an opportunity to showcase his leadership quality before his own people here as Lucknow has been allocated two Ranji Trophy matches this season.
In all probability, the newlyconstructed Ekana International Cricket Stadium will host both the Ranji Trophy matches in December besides a league match of the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy involving Uttar Pradesh. Secretary, Cricket Association Lucknow, KM Khan on Wednesday said that CAL had been given the responsibility to conduct three matches this season.
In 2005-06 season Lucknow had witnessed back-to-back four Ranji Trophy matches at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium. Uttar Pradesh defeated Services, Punjab and then Hyderabad before defeating Bengal on the basis of the first innings lead and lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy.
Akshdeep-led Uttar Pradesh will take on Jharkhand in their Elite Group C match from December 14 to 17 at the Ekana Stadium here, before playing against Tripura from December 22 to 25 at the same venue.
The Nayudu Trophy match between UP and Tripura in Elite Group B will be played from December 16 at the B Ground of the Ekana Stadium.
“We also have BBD Stadium for Nayudu Trophy match but a decision on this will soon be taken in our meeting,” Khan said.
He also confirmed that within a day or two, CAL would announce the date for the conduct of its annual general meeting.
“For AGM, we need to issue one month’s notice and I am sure that we will hold our AGM in the last week of October as last time it was decided that the meeting would be conduct every year,” Khan said.
Uttar Pradesh, which has been going through a poor form in Ranji Trophy for the last many seasons, will begin its campaign with match against Goa in Kanpur from November 1 to 4. This will also be the first time when the two teams will play each other in Ranji Trophy history.
This will be followed by the second match against Odisha at Bhubaneswar from November 12 to 15, whereas the venue for the match against Services (November 20-23) is yet to be finalised. UP will play their first match in home from November 28 to December 1 at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur against Rajasthan, before travelling to some other place to play the next match against Jharkhand from December 6 to 9.
Before playing their last league match in the group against Assam at Kanpur from January 7 to 10, Uttar Pradesh would be playing against Haryana at Lahli from December 30 to January 2.
before hosting the Ranji Trophy match, the Ekana Stadium would be witnessing its firstever international match when Virat Kohli-led side take on West Indies in the second encounter of the Twenty20 series on November 6.
HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT WITHIN A DAY OR TWO, CAL WOULD ANNOUNCE THE DATE FOR THE CONDUCT OF ITS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING