Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Abhimanyu Easwaran to lead; Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep set to boost bowling unit as Bengal name squad

The Cricket Association of Bengal has recently announced Bengal's senior men's team for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Their consistent top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead the unit. Easwaran struck three half-centuries in five innings for India A after the previous domestic season had concluded. His most-recent fifty for was for Rest of India in the 2025 Irani Cup.  

Abishek Porel has been named as Easwaran's deputy. The core of the batting lineup will constitute the veterans of the likes of Anustup Majumdar and Sudip Chatterjee. Promising youngster Sudip Kumar Gharami has also been picked and is expected to play a crucial role.

The other youngsters in the lineup are Rahul Prasad, Saurabh Kumar Singh and Vishal Bhati. Bengal’s bowling unit will be boosted by the inclusion of the ace fast-bowling duo of Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, both of whom will be expected to strike early with the new red ball. Shami's brother and bowling all-rounder Mohammad Kaif, on the other hand, is nowhere to be seen in the roster.

Shami last played for India in March 2025 during the Men in Blue's title-winning run in the Champions Trophy. Injuries and poor form has made his road to an international comeback tough for now. A good Ranji Trophy can quite possibly change things around. Akash Deep, on the other hand, has played 10 Tests for India up until now.   

Former experienced all-rounder from Bengal Laxmi Ratan Shukla will continue his role as head coach. Arup Bhattacharjee and Shib Shankar Paul will be assisting him. Charanjit Singh Matharu has been selected to serve as the fielding coach.

Bengal's 2025-26 Ranji Trophy squad

Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Abishek Porel (vc/wk), Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Sudip Chatterjee, Sumanta Gupta, Saurabh Kumar Singh, Vishal Bhati, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Ishan Porel, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Rahul Prasad, Sumit Mohanta, Vikash Singh

Bengal are placed in Elite Group C alongside Gujarat, Haryana, Services, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Assam. They will kickstart their campaign by hosting Uttarakhand at the Eden Gardens from Wednesday, October 15.