Bhopal Leopards reveal squad ahead of MPL T20 Scindia Cup 2026
Bhopal, May 28
Defending champions Bhopal Leopards have announced their squad for the Madhya Pradesh League T20 Scindia Cup. The side features exciting talents like Aniket Verma and Arshad Khan. Leopards will start the campaign against Indore Pink Panthers on June 4 in the evening match at Holkar Stadium.
The new season of the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup is all set to begin on June 3, with Gwalior Cheetahs taking on Ujjain Falcons in the opening match of the men's tournament. The match will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
MPL 2026 will be the biggest edition of the tournament so far, featuring an expanded format with 10 men's teams and five women's franchises.
The men's tournament has expanded further with the addition of three new franchises - Malwa Stallions, Ujjain Falcons, and Royal Nimar Eagles. They will join defending champions Bhopal Leopards along with Bundelkhand Bulls, Chambal Ghariyals, Gwalior Cheetahs, Indore Pink Panthers, Jabalpur Royal Lions, and Rewa Jaguars.
The women's competition has also grown with the inclusion of Gwalior Shernis and Royal Nimar Eagles. They will compete alongside Bhopal Wolves, Bundelkhand Bulls, and Chambal Ghariyals in the five-team tournament.
Abhishek Mohan Gupta from the Bhopal Leopards, which is owned by HMG Sports, expressed confidence in the side ahead of the tournament and said, "The squad has been built with a strong balance of experienced and talented young players. We are very excited about the upcoming season and are confident that the team will play an aggressive and positive brand of cricket. MPL has become a fantastic platform for players to showcase their abilities, and we are looking forward to a successful campaign this year."
Bhopal Leopards squad: Ajay Mishra, Amol Kasture, Anchit Singh Thakur, Aniket Verma, Ansh Bagadia, Anurag Malviya, Himanshu Shinde, Kamal Tripathi, Kunal Rai, Manish Kumar, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Pawan Nirwani, Pranjul Puri, Priyanshu Shukla*, Rahul Chandrol, Suraj Yadav, Taanishq Yadav, Yuvraj Nema
Priyanshu Shukla is approved as a Match to Match replacement for Mohd. Arshad Khan.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally, women's cricket getting its due with 5 teams! Gwalior Shernis and Royal Nimar Eagles joining is fantastic. Hope they get good broadcast coverage and support. Also, Leopards' squad looks balanced - that's what won them the title last season. 👏👩🦰
Defending champions have a strong squad but I hope they give more opportunities to local MP talent. Priyanshu Shukla as match-to-match replacement shows the team is flexible. Just hope the home matches get good crowd support at Holkar - it can be a fortress! 🦁
Abhishek Mohan Gupta's vision for the Leopards is clear - blend experience with youth. Taanishq Yadav and Yuvraj Nema are ones to watch. MPL becoming like a mini-IPL for MP, and that's great for grassroots cricket. My only request: please telecast matches on free-to-air channels! 📺🙏
Excited for the women's MPL! As a cricket fan from MP, it's wonderful to see our state league grow. Bhopal Wolves and Bundelkhand Bulls should have strong women's teams too. Hope the Scindia Cup inspires young girls to take up cricket. 🏏💪
The expansion to 10 men's teams seems ambitious but necessary. MPL needs these new franchises to stay competitive. Leopards might face tougher competition this year with Ujjain Falcons and Malwa Stallions joining. My worry: the tournament calendar - hope it doesn't clash with major exams for school
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.