Karnataka squad for Ranji Trophy: Mayank Agarwal named captain for first two rounds

After a lukewarm Duleep Trophy, Mayank will be eager to be among some big runs to impress the selectors, and Prasidh too need better numbers in the wicket column.

File photo: Karnataka, led by Mayank, will face Madhya Pradesh at Indore from October 11 and Kerala in Bengaluru from October 18. | Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K/The Hindu

Mayank Agarwal will continue to lead Karnataka in red-ball cricket but will have a new deputy in the seasoned Manish Pandey, 35, as the 16-man squad for the opening two Ranji Trophy games against Madhya Pradesh (Indore, October 11 to 14) and Kerala (Bengaluru, October 18 to 22) was named on Tuesday.

Nikin Jose was the vice-captain last season but was underwhelming with the bat, scoring a paltry 281 runs from eight matches. The 24-year-old, whose 547 runs in his debut 2022-23 sojourn played a big role in his elevation, will now hope to recapture that form.

Speedster Vidwath Kaverappa, who took 25 wickets from five matches in 2023-24, will miss the first two games because of the shin injury sustained in the Duleep Trophy. 

But a fully fit Prasidh Krishna will be a welcome addition as Karnataka will look to keep up the pace troika, which has V. Vyshak (39 wickets in 2023-24) and V. Koushik (28) as the other members.

The eight-time champion attempted to usher in a completely young generation of spinners last campaign, but has now sought the experience of leggie Shreyas Gopal but not that of veteran offie K. Gowtham, who has not been picked for a second straight year.

K. Shashikumar and Rohit Kumar, who made their debuts last season, and Shubhang Hegde have not been chosen while promising off-spinner Mohsin Khan finds a place.

Mohsin’s C.K. Nayudu (U-23) Trophy-winning captain R. Smaran has made the squad even as K.V. Aneesh, who played the quarterfinal against Vidarbha in February, has not made the cut. Sujay Sateri and Luvnith Sisodia are the two designated wicket-keepers after Sharath Srinivas shifted to Tripura.

Karnataka squad

Mayank Agarwal (captain), Nikin Jose, Devdutt Padikkal, R Smaran, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Gopal, Sujay Sateri, Hardik Raj, Vyshak Vijayakumar, Prasidh Krishna, Vasuki Koushik, Luvnith Sisodia, Mohsin Khan, Vidyadhar Patil, Kishan Bedare, Abhilash Shetty.

Coach: K Yere Goud.