Abhishek Porel Named in Bengal Squad for Ranji Trophy Opener Against Delhi

Wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel has been included in Bengal's 17-member squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy season opener against Delhi. The selection comes shortly after the player was granted bail in a legal case involving allegations of rape and other sexual offences.

Porel, who has not participated in competitive cricket since the conclusion of the 2026 IPL, was arrested by Mogra police in the Hooghly district on August 11. The arrest followed a complaint from a medical student from Karnataka, who alleged that the cricketer had engaged in sexual relations under the promise of marriage. The case was registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 69, as well as the Information Technology Act. Following his arrest and subsequent release on bail, Porel was also included in Bengal's squad for practice matches held in Guwahati last month.

Abhimanyu Easwaran will continue to lead the side, with Sudip Kumar Gharami serving as his deputy. The squad features a formidable pace attack, including senior India international Mohammed Shami, alongside Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep. Akash Deep’s inclusion is particularly notable as he returns from injury, aiming to regain match fitness ahead of India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand. Conversely, all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed has been excluded from the squad due to an injury sustained during the Duleep Trophy.

Bengal enters the new season looking to build on their performance from last year, where they topped their group before exiting in the semi-finals against Jammu and Kashmir. The team is placed in a competitive group alongside Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Services. The full squad includes Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Sudip Kumar Gharami (vice-captain), Sudip Chatterjee, Abhishek Porel (wicketkeeper), Shakir Habib Gandhi (wicketkeeper), Ankur Paul, Sumanta Gupta, Ankit Shukla, Subham Chatterjee, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Md. Kaif, and Soummyadip Mandal.