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Karan or Rinku to lead UP in Ranji Trophy this season
The annual general meeting of UP Cricket Association to announce support staff at its AGM today in Kanpur
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It will be a toss up between batters Rinku Singh and Karan Sharma to lead Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. It is likely to be decided when the state selection panel headed by Praveen Kumar meet to finalise the team on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association’s AGM in Kanpur.
The AGM will also announce the support staff for the various teams for the season. Confirmation will also be made on the re-appointment of Sanjay Kapoor and Sanjeev Singh in the UPT20 League governing council for another season.
The AGM will also pick three new members in the senior selection panel as Ashish Winston Zaidi, Utkarsh Chandra and Mritunjay Tripathi have resigned. The remaining two selectors, Praveen Kumar and Rizwan Shamshad, will also observe probables for the U-23 side at Kanpur on Wednesday.
“We want to start fresh this time as far as the Ranji Trophy is concerned. We had our only title in 2005-06, and for the last 20 years we couldn’t do much. The time has come when everyone is looking for a change,” said a selector on Tuesday.
“Karan has been quite successful in all formats of the game and has been doing well since he made it to the UP side in 2022. His 1000-plus runs in 24 first-class matches with four centuries and two half centuries speak volumes about his calibre,” he said. “He was dropped from the side last season after playing four matches, where he could score only 151 runs.”
In fact, Karan has scored a career-best 208 against Assam and played several match-defining innings, including a 67* in a tense chase against Mumbai while battling a wrist injury. His ability to bat long, absorb pressure and finish games makes him a natural leader, which is why his consistent UPT20 League form is being linked to a possible return to the Ranji captaincy.
He feels that Rinku Singh also deserves to lead the side as the selectors opt for continuity and reliability over sweeping changes. They are confident about tried-and-tested players as UP prepares to begin its Elite Group A campaign against Bihar on October 11. The support staff will also remain familiar, with Gyanendra Pandey and Rahul Sapru taking up the jobs again, both having previously served as Ranji Trophy captains for Uttar Pradesh and coaches too.
In terms of overall Ranji Trophy statistics, Rinku has played around 45 matches, scoring more than 3,000 runs with an average above 70, reflecting his ability to convert starts into big scores. He has recorded several centuries, including a career-best 176 against Tamil Nadu in the 2025 edition, which remains his highest first-class innings. His strike rate in the format hovers around 60-61, indicating a balanced approach between consolidation and acceleration.
The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy proved to be a standout season for Rinku at the domestic level. He recorded back-to-back centuries, beginning with an unbeaten 165 against Andhra Pradesh, which took Uttar Pradesh into a slender one-run lead and earned them three points in a drawn game. This innings was not only his highest first-class score at the time but also underscored his maturity as a batter capable of anchoring long innings.
He followed that with a career-best 176 against Tamil Nadu in Coimbatore, an innings that included 17 fours and 6 sixes. Knocked off 247 balls, this century was his second of the season and highlighted his ability to dominate strong bowling attacks while maintaining concentration over long periods. These performances reinforced his status as one of India’s most reliable first-class batters and strengthened his case for greater responsibility, including leadership roles in domestic cricket.
