Latest news with #UPCA
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Nitish Rana gets NOC from UPCA
Lucknow: After two seasons of highs and lows with Uttar Pradesh, Nitish Rana has decided to return to his native state. The Rajasthan Royals batsman also received the no objection certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which he had sought due to family commitments. The 31-year-old Rana had moved to Uttar Pradesh in 2023 but did not have a very successful stint, either as a player or as captain. He had joined the Uttar Pradesh team in search of greener pastures and was even handed the captaincy, but failed to make the most of the opportunity. The southpaw played 10 matches in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 447 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.92. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he managed only 72 runs in 7 matches, averaging 18.00. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he again failed to make a significant impact, scoring 314 runs in 16 matches at an average of 22.42. With the ball, he took three wickets in 10 Ranji matches at an economy of 2.98. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he claimed 7 wickets in 7 matches with an economy of 5.31, while in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20), he picked up 8 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 6.64. UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee said, "Rana applied for the NOC due to family commitments, and we issued it to him ahead of the upcoming red-ball season." Earlier, Bagpat lad and experienced player Saurabh Kumar also took an NOC from UP and has decided to play for Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming season.
India.com
25-06-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Nitish Rana Poised For Delhi Comeback In Domestic Cricket After Stint With Uttar Pradesh
After two seasons with Uttar Pradesh, left-handed batter Nitish Rana is expected to return to his home team, Delhi, for the 2025/26 domestic season. Rana, who previously captained Delhi in domestic competitions, had made a surprising switch to UP before the 2023/24 season. The possibility of his return gained traction after his name was missing from the list of players for the upcoming UP T20 League auction. A source within the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) confirmed that Rana has applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is likely to be approved shortly. "As he's not a domicile player, his involvement with UP has always been on a season-to-season basis. Guest players, as per the rules, can change teams depending on availability and approval," said a UPCA official to IANS. Rana's time with UP was underwhelming. In the 2024/25 season, he scored just 111 runs in nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches. His performance didn't improve in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he managed only 17 runs in two games and was subsequently dropped. His Ranji Trophy form was similarly disappointing, scoring just 150 runs in four matches before being excluded from the squad. His potential return to Delhi aligns with the lead-up to the second edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL). However, there has been no official statement from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Some voices within the Delhi cricket circuit remain skeptical about welcoming him back. "Two years ago, he left Delhi when the team needed him most, despite several requests. Now, after not being retained by UP, he wants to come back. He'll have to prove himself again to earn a spot," a source close to the DDCA told IANS. Internationally, Rana has represented India in one ODI and two T20Is. His IPL 2025 stint with Rajasthan Royals was also below expectations, scoring just 217 runs across 11 games before a calf injury ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Adding to his controversies, Rana was involved in a heated on-field spat with Delhi captain Ayush Badoni during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinals last year, which required umpire intervention to defuse.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
24 Kanpur cricketers to try luck in 45 slots in UP-T-20 league auction
Kanpur: As many as 170 cricketers, including 24 from Kanpur, will try their luck in 45 vacant slots in the UP T-20 league auction scheduled to be held in Lucknow on Wednesday. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which is the organiser of the UP T-20 league, has released the list of players who would be auctioned. Kanpur Cricket Association had organised the Kanpur Premier League this year which attracted team owners to pick players for their squads. On the basis of performance, UPCA has picked 30 players from KPL, with 24 out of them belonging to Kanpur. The remaining six are from other districts. According to UPCA sources, two Kanpur players--Adarsh Singh and Mohd Sharim--have already been retained by Kanpur Superstars and Noida Superkings teams. The players who will go under the hammer on June 18 are: Almas Shaukat, Ansh Tiwari, Upendra Yadav, Nishant Gaur, Trishal Trivedi, Aman Yadav, Abhinav Sharma, Satnam Singh, Saurabh Yadav, Abhishek Tomar, Divya Prakash, Divyanshu Pandey, Noorain Ali, Adesh Kumar, Amit Pachera, Faiz Ahmad, Prashant Awasthi, Rishav Rai, Sarthak Lohia, Satyam Dixit, Saubhagya Mishra, Shivam Kumar, Sudhanshu Chaurasia, Yuvraj Pandey (all Kanpur), Dhruv Pratap Singh, Subrat Prasad Tiwari (both Prayagraj), Prashant Chaudhary (Mrt), Rishabh Rajput (Mainpuri), Kamil Khan (Ghazipur), Vishal Pandey (Gzbd). tnn
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
UPCA honours visionary leader
Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association on Thursday paid tributes to Dr Gaur Hari Singhania on his 90th birth anniversary through an emotional ceremony at its office. The function was led by secretay Arvind Srivastava, treasurer Prem Manohar Gupt and CEO Ankit Chatterjee. The staff of UPCA also paid floral tribute to Dr Singhania, whose contribution strengthened the spirit of the association in the state. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Saurabh ends decade-long stint with UP, set to join Andhra
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's seasoned left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar , 32, has decided to switch to Andhra Pradesh for the upcoming domestic season. In a statement on social media, Saurabh wrote: "I would like to express my profound gratitude for the great journey I had with UPCA over the past 10 years of First-Class Cricket. As I move on to new opportunities, I would like to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to UPCA for giving me the opportunities to lead and learn. " "As I venture into a new chapter of my cricketing journey with the Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association, I would like to extend my acknowledgement to all who have been a part of my journey so far," he further added. Kumar, who was part of the India squad during last year's Test series against England (2024), as well as the overseas tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has opted to move from Uttar Pradesh to Andhra ahead of the new season. He has played 79 first-class matches, taking 324 wickets and scoring 2,374 runs. His best performance came against Haryana in the 2018–19 season, where he picked up 14 wickets in a match. Speaking to TOI, the Baghpat lad said, "It was a good opportunity that knocked on my door, and I accepted it. I will play all three formats for Andhra Pradesh." Responding to UP's recent performances in domestic cricket, he said, "I don't think there's any major reason for us not winning trophies. We reached the semifinal in the Ranji Trophy, qualified in the one-day tournament, and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we qualified twice in consecutive years. It's just bad luck that UP hasn't won a senior domestic title recently."
