Ashutosh Aman appointed Bihar head coach for Ranji Trophy 2026-27, Sakibul Gani to lead

Bihar have appointed Ashutosh Aman as their head coach for the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season, with Ashok Kumar named as assistant coach. The new coaching pair replaces the previous combination of Vinayak Samant and Kumar Mridul. Sakibul Gani has been confirmed as captain of the Bihar senior men's side, with Himanshu Singh serving as his deputy.

The Bihar senior men's squad was selected by BCCI-appointed selectors Harvinder Singh, S Sharath and Amitabh Vijayvargiya. The appointments come after the Supreme Court named former Patna High Court judge Ashwani Kumar Singh as administrator for Bihar cricket on September 16, 2026, a development that set the administrative framework for the current selection process.

Bihar are placed in the Elite Group for the upcoming season. Their first match is scheduled against Uttar Pradesh on October 11 at the Rajgir International Cricket Stadium. The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 runs from October 11, 2026 to March 3, 2027, with Jammu and Kashmir entering the season as defending champions.

Who are the notable names in Bihar's 17-member squad?

The 17-member squad includes several players with domestic and franchise experience. Sakib Hussain, who is part of the squad, had a productive IPL 2026 campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking 15 wickets in 11 games at an average of 26.46. His inclusion adds a proven bowling option to Bihar's attack for the first two rounds.

The squad features two wicketkeepers in Bipin Kumar Saurabh and Shraman Nigrodh, giving the team flexibility in their combination. Himanshu Singh, named vice-captain, is among the experienced members of the group alongside captain Sakibul Gani. Other players in the squad include Ayush Loharuka, Mangal Maharour, Naman Gaurav, Piyush Singh, Akash Raj, Prithvi Raj, Khalid Alam, Suraj Kumar Kashyap, Mohammad Izhar, Shabbir Khan, Raghavendra Singh and Amod Yadav.

Notably, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been part of India's T20I squads for the West Indies series and the New Zealand tour, has not been included in Bihar's 17-member squad for the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2026-27.

What is the next confirmed step for Bihar in Ranji Trophy 2026-27?

Bihar's first confirmed fixture is against Uttar Pradesh on October 11 at the Rajgir International Cricket Stadium. The match will be Bihar's opening assignment in the Elite Group and will serve as the first competitive outing for Ashutosh Aman in his new role as head coach and for Sakibul Gani as captain in this season.

The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season runs through to March 3, 2027, giving Bihar a lengthy campaign to work through. The Elite Group format means Bihar will face strong competition across the season, with Jammu and Kashmir, the defending champions, also part of the broader field. Bihar's squad composition and the new coaching structure will be tested from the very first round.

Bihar squad for the Ranji Trophy

Sakibul Gani (capt), Ayush Loharuka, Mangal Maharour, Naman Gaurav, Piyush Singh, Bipin Kumar Saurabh (wk), Shraman Nigrodh (wicketkeeper), Akash Raj, Prithvi Raj, Himanshu Singh (vice-capt), Khalid Alam, Suraj Kumar Kashyap, Sakib Hussain, Mohammad Izhar, Shabbir Khan, Raghavendra Singh, Amod Yadav

Standbys: Nawaz Khan, Malay Raj, Danish Alam, Tarun Kumar Singh, Sachin Kumar Singh, Prashant Kumar Singh