Zeeshan Ansari
Because of limited squad slots, uPCA selector Rizwan Shamshad said the expansion of T20 opportunities would benefit players who had performed well but could not find places earlier. “We were scouting talent during the UPT20 League and have shortlisted five to six uncapped players, whom our panel has placed on top of our priority list. There are also two to three longer format players whom we are planning to try in the T20 format. Our list is ready and we will submit it soon to the UPCA.
We want deserving players, who did not get a chance to play last year, should also get opportunities in the shorter version,” he added.
UPCA Establishes Scouting Panel for Domestic Talent Identification
The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has formed an internal scouting panel to identify talent ahead of the 2026-27 domestic season. This initiative comes before the UPT20 League, which will serve as a platform for player evaluation.
The panel comprises five members: former India cricketer Praveen Kumar, along with Gopal Sharma, Rahul Sapru, Rizwan Shamshad, and Shashikant Khandekar. They are tasked with scouting talent across all 34 matches of the UPT20 League, focusing particularly on players for the Men’s State A T20 Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
UPCA secretary Prem Manohar Gupta stated, “The five members scouted talent across all 34 matches for the upcoming domestic season, especially for the Men’s State A T20 Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They will submit their report on players who performed well in the UPT20 League.”