The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has announced Rajat Patidar as the team’s full-time captain for the upcoming 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Patidar, 32, replaces Shubham Sharma and will lead Madhya Pradesh in red-ball cricket for the first time on a permanent basis, though he had previously captained in two first-class matches.
Patidar had earlier declined to take up full-time leadership in first-class cricket but has now changed his stance. His recent success in captaincy roles appears to have influenced the decision — earlier this month, he guided Central Zone to the 2025 Duleep Trophy title, and earlier in the year, he led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) championship. He also captained Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy last season, making him the state team’s all-format skipper.
Meanwhile, pacer Avesh Khan has not been included in the squad due to injury. The right-arm fast bowler underwent knee surgery in June and is currently rehabilitating at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He is expected to return in the second leg of the Ranji season.
Madhya Pradesh squad for Ranji Trophy 2025-26
Rajat Patidar (c), Yash Dubey, Harsh Gawli, Shubham Sharma, Himanshu Mantri, Harpreet Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Sagar Solanki, Kumar Kartikey, Saransh Jain, Adheer Pratap, Aryan Pandey, Arshad Khan, Anubhav Agarwal, Kuldeep Sen.