SPORTS
Former champions Bengal will take on Assam, while Odisha will face Tripura to begin the East Zone leg of the T20 tournament for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, here tomorrow.
Last season's East Zone leg champions Odisha will have the opportunity to make amends for their pathetic domestic season even as the team would be morally down, while 2010-11 winners Bengal will start firm favourites to qualify for the knockout among the five teams.
Odisha had emerged East Zone toppers by virtue of their net-run rate after they finished with 12 points along with Bengal and Assam. Odisha and Bengal had finished top two by net run rate to qualify for the main round. But things look different and it appears to be an open battle among Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam, while Tripura too would look to produce upsets.
With T20 specialists in skipper Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi and Shahbaz Nadeem, Jharkhand have a formidable line-up. Bengal will have a full strength side in the league phase with the likes of skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha who form the back bone of the team, while they will be missed in the knockout phase due to commitments with their respective IPL franchises.
Keeping that in mind, the selectors have brought in 36-year-old Sanjib Sanyal in the 16-member squad for the zonal leg as his inclusion will boost Bengal's all-round options. "Sanjib had done well in the previous edition too. Look, you are in the side only if you play. If you can't, you will be chucked out and won't be considered thereafter. It's simple," captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla said as they look forward to use the home advantage.
Odisha selectors have retained the core of the side this season with Biplab Samantray as the skipper and it would be their young in-form allrounder and vice captain Govind Poddar, who will be their key player.
Natraj Behera, who was out of the T20 squad last season, also made a come back to the side after hitting four consecutive centuries in the Ranji season as the 28-year-old will be their batting back bone.
Rare triple planetary alignment to form 'smiley face' in sky! When and how to see it?
Earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolts Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, tremors felt in Kashmir
Sex in prison? Italy opens its first-ever 'sex room' for inmates
Ravichandran Ashwin silences panelist during YouTube debate to stop talking about MS Dhoni
IIT Delhi quantifies skill in opinion trading through data and modeling
RCB captain Rajat Patidar surpasses Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this unique record in IPL, it is...
UP, Haryana to get new high-speed train, not Rapid Rail, Bullet Train, it is..., top speed to be...
RCB create unwanted IPL record with loss against Punjab Kings, become first team to...
India's neighboring country hits jackpot with huge natural gas and..., the country is...
Kedarnath and Badrinath temples set to reopen doors next month; Check dates here
Who was Harsimrat Randhawa, 21-year-old Indian student killed by stray bullet in Canada
JEE Main Session 2 Results out: Check list of toppers, and where and how to download your scorecard
Hindu community leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy kidnapped, beaten to death in Bangladesh
Leaked emails show Mark Zuckerberg is worried Facebook is no longer relevant, know reason inside
When Isha Ambani opened up about conceiving twins through IVF: 'Nobody should feel ashamed'
Why Ben Affleck hated wearing Batsuit? Actor reveals real reason, says, 'They don't...'
Watch: Rohit Sharma opens up on getting a stand named after him at Wankhede Stadium
GST on UPI transactions over Rs 2000? Here's what government says
Viral video: Giant 7-foot Kangaroo standing in backyard terrifies internet: ‘Horror movie material’
World Economic Outlook 2025: What has IMF said about RECESSION amid Trump tariff turmoil?
Sobhita Dhulipala dazzles in Rahul Mishra’s golden gown that took 1600 hours to create
Can Donald Trump Fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell? Legal barriers, economic fears explained
Russian drone attack on Ukraine kills 1, leaves 70 injured: 'This is how Russia began Good Friday'
What is 'Riyasat-e-Madina'? After Imran Khan, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir advocates it because...
Rift in RR camp? Sanju Samson ignores Rahul Dravid, team meeting in dugout; video goes viral
Meet billionaire neighbours of Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani living near Rs 15000 crore Antilia
Pat Cummins to miss rest of IPL 2025? SRH captain’s wife's cryptic Instagram post sparks speculation
JEE Main 2025 Results: NTA re-releases final answer keys, steps to download PDF
Athiya Shetty, KL Rahul announce their daughter's name, Evaarah; it means 'gift of...'
Senior JNU professor suspended for alleged sexual harassment of Japanese researcher
Easter 2025: Know the date, history, significance and celebrations of Easter Sunday
India-Bangladesh trade war: Can Dhaka afford to jeopardise its $47B garment industry?
PM Modi, Elon Musk discuss potential collaboration in technology, Prime Minister says...
Meet Sheetal Ganesan, MI star Jasprit Bumrah's sister-in-law, her profession is..., she lives in...
Two AI Researchers Win Prestigious Award for Advancing Cybersecurity