Times News NetworkKanpur: Uttar Pradesh will begin their Ranji Trophy campaign against Bihar at Rajgir International Stadium in Nalanda district on Sunday.The UP team, led by captain Aryan Juyal, has already reached Rajgir and completed a practice session on Saturday morning. Head coach Gyanendra Pandey said all players were fit and eager to begin the season on a winning note.“Since this is the first match of the new season, it is difficult to assess the opposition. In modern-day cricket, no team can be considered weak. We expect the next four days to be crucial and competitive,” Pandey told TOI on the phone.He said this would be the first Ranji Trophy match to be played at the Rajgir stadium. Describing the venue as impressive, with a lush green outfield, Pandey said the wicket had very little grass and its behaviour could not be assessed at this stage. “On the face of it, the wicket looks sporting and appears to offer something for both batsmen and bowlers,” he said.Pandey added that the final playing XI would be decided on Sunday morning after another inspection of the pitch. The UP squad includes two newcomers, Abhinandan Singh and Vansh Chaudhary.UP and Bihar last faced each other at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna from Jan 23 to Jan 26, 2025. UP had won that match by an innings and 119 runs.UP squad: Aryan Juyal (captain), Rinku Singh, Abhishek Goswami, Aaradhya Yadav, Karan Sharma, Madhav Kaushik, Aditya Sharma, Siddharth Yadav, Kartik Yadav, Zeeshan Ansari, Vansh Chaudhary, Yash Dayal, Priyam Garg, Abhinandan Singh and Kartik Tyagi.
