Amandeep Khare to captain Chhattisgarh Ranji team in upcoming season

RAIPUR: Amandeep Khare, a 26-year-old right-hand batter and right-arm bowler, will lead the Chhattisgarh Ranji team in the upcoming season. Khare, the sole cricketer from Chhattisgarh to have played for India in the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, takes on the captaincy for the first time in the Ranji Trophy.The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS), through its official press release, has announced the commencement of the Ranji Trophy matches from January 5, 2024, and consequently revealed a 17-member squad for this significant tournament.Alongside Khare, the team comprises all-rounder Ajay Mandal, Anuj Tiwari, Ashish Singh Chouhan, Ashutosh Singh, Eknath Kelkar (wicketkeeper), Gagandeep Singh, Jivesh Butte, M Ravi Kiran, RIshabh Tiwari, Sanjeet Desai, Shashank Chandrakar (wicketkeeper), Shashank Singh (vice-captain), Shubham Singh, Sourabh Majumdar, Sumit Ruikar, and Vasudev Bareth.Chhattisgarh, placed in Group-B, will embark on their tournament journey with a match against Assam at their home ground in Naya Raipur from January 5 to 8. The state team is scheduled to play four matches at home and three away in the round-robin league.Harpreet Singh Bhatia, one of the key batters of the state team and the former team leader, was unavailable for selection this year, as confirmed by CSCS.