LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association is set to have separate teams for each format in the 2026-27 domestic season. The senior selection committee head, former India pacer Praveen Kumar, says the process has already begun.
“We’ve already started the proceedings to identify talent for different formats. We planned our off-season camps early this month with this idea,” he said on Tuesday.
“You will see a lot of change in our approach in the new season. In the camp, we had a mix of players, including some junior cricketers, as we want to have strong teams in all formats. We had a good number of U-23 cricketers along with senior players in two pre-season camps as this time the U23 State A Trophy will be played in T20 format.”
Kumar’s plan has the backing of UPCA officials and former state cricketers. Former Test off-spinner Gopal Sharma says it’s much needed to help UP regain supremacy as former champions in all three formats.
“The recent ‘speed hunt’ programme of UPCA was part of our plan to have special talents for different teams, and UPCA supports its selection committee planning. We have more such plans to unleash in the near future for the overall development of the game in the state,” said UPCA secretary Prem Manohar Gupta on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}“The recent ‘speed hunt’ programme of UPCA was part of our plan to have special talents for different teams, and UPCA supports its selection committee planning. We have more such plans to unleash in the near future for the overall development of the game in the state,” said UPCA secretary Prem Manohar Gupta on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}“Our teams need to be consistent, especially in white-ball events and the time has come for our selectors to pick separate teams for red-ball and white-ball cricket,” Sharma, a former India selector, said.
“What happens in UP is we find the same set of players, mostly of Ranji Trophy, in the two white-ball teams. In fact, our selectors should think how BCCI does, to have separate teams for different events. It will give more confidence to the players as they will be sincere to their roles.”
Former UP skipper and coach Rizwan Shamshad too backed the plan. “I see a lot of young talent in the state, especially pace bowlers, but they hardly get a chance to showcase their abilities. If we have separate teams, especially for white-ball cricket, we can have many energetic players for the side,” said Shamshad.
“We’re not using our talent properly. We pay more attention to big names while forming a side. They always get to play all the formats and our real talent takes a back seat,” he said.
The state has produced some of India’s most valued white-ball cricketers, but the state team has often underperformed in the one-day Vijay Hazare Trophy and T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The state’s cricketers have found a faster route to IPL through state T20 leagues, yet the UP side has not consistently converted that depth into sustained white-ball success.
It is not that UP’s white-ball record is poor, having won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2002-03 and shared the title in 2004-05. They were runners-up in Mushtaq Ali in 2013-14 and went on to win the trophy in 2015-16. They also reached the Vijay Hazare final in 2020-21, which shows the state teams have been competitive in phases.
Yet these peaks have been scattered, giving the perception that UP have underachieved in white-ball cricket. Many believe that one of the key reasons is the disconnect between finding talent and team performance.