With many new faces, UP aim to regain T20 trophy
LUCKNOW: Like the Ranji Trophy this season, Uttar Pradesh is set to launch many new faces in this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy, beginning Thursday in New Delhi.
Youngsters like Madhav Kaushik, Yash Dayal, Priyam Garg and Shivam Mavi did well and helped the side do better this time in Ranji Trophy, losing in the quarterfinals only. This was after a gap of four years when Akshdeep Nath and Co could reach to that extent in country’s premier event.
UP’s title triumph in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy last week inspired Gyanendra Pandey-led selection panel to draft most of the performers for the shortest format of the game, which also happens to be the season’s last event.
“We are a group of energetic cricketers and it suits our game plan in the T20 event. These youngsters are the future of UP cricket for the next five years,” skipper Akshdeep Nath said on Monday. Seventeen-year-old Aryan Juyal has been the youngest player in the side for the T20 event, whereas the side has also experienced Suresh Raina, 31, who also happens to be one of the best hitter of the ball in T20 cricket in India.
“He (Raina) has been a big asset to the side and his presence would make a big difference. He is known for his superb batting in this format of the game, and I would get a chance to learn from him,” said Akshdeep.
“The team’s mission this time is to regain the trophy which we had in 2015-16. We did well in the last season and lost in the Super League only. This time too, we would like to do well,” he said.
He, however, admitted that boys learnt so many things from their mistakes in the Ranji Trophy and are aiming not to repeat those mistakes in T20. “We are looking to make amends to our mistakes. We know what areas we need to work on,” he added.
He said a good performance in the T20 event would help many players do well in the forthcoming IPL season. “It’s an opportunity for many to make a strong statement before the IPL by exhibiting their class in the T20 event,” said Akshdeep, adding, “On personal front too, it’s an opportunity for me to make a lot of runs for the side and above all lead the side to victory.”
UP would miss the services of Under-19 World Cup star Shivam Mavi, who has been nursing injury.
During the last nine years of the T20 event, which came into existence only in 2009-10, Uttar Pradesh had been the runners-up in 2013-14, losing to Baroda in the final, but under Raina’s captaincy they won the trophy in 2015-16 this time by beating Baroda.
TEAM
Akshdeep Nath (captain), Ankit Rajpoot (vice-captain), Aryan Juyal, Shubham Chaubey, Priyam Garg, Mohit Jangra, Nalin Mishra, Mohsin Khan, Suresh Raina, Samarth Singh, Saurabh Kumar, Shiva Singh, Rinku Singh, Upendra Yadav (w-k), and Yash Dayal. FIXTURE Feruary 21: Maharashtra vs Uttar Pradesh; Feruary 22: Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh; Feruary 24: Tripura vs Uttar Pradesh; Feruary 25: Puducherry vs Uttar Pradesh; Feruary 27: Services vs Uttar Pradesh; Feruary 28: Uttarakhand vs Uttar Pradesh; March 2: Baroda vs Uttar Pradesh.