Priyanshu Moliya to captain Rest of India U-23 in CK Nayudu Trophy final
Synopsis
Baroda's Priyanshu Moliya, a 2024 U19 World Cup representative, has been handed the captaincy of the Rest of India U-23 side for the CK Nayudu Trophy winners clash against champions Tamil Nadu in Chennai. The fixture doubles as a prime red-ball audition, with IPL 2026 run-machine Angkrish Raghuvanshi — returning from injury — set to bat as his deputy.
Key Takeaways
Priyanshu Moliya (Baroda) named captain of the Rest of India U-23 squad for the CK Nayudu Trophy winners match.
The four-day fixture is scheduled at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai from 1 to 4 October .
Angkrish Raghuvanshi — KKR's leading IPL 2026 scorer with 422 runs in 13 games — is vice-captain, returning from a finger injury.
The 15-member squad was selected by the BCCI's Junior Cricket Committee .
Left-arm spinner Emanjot Singh Chahal featured in IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals and brings T20 exposure to the bowling unit.
Baroda batting all-rounder Priyanshu Moliya, who represented India at the 2024 U19 Men's Cricket World Cup, has been named captain of the Rest of India U-23 squad for the upcoming Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy winners match against champions Tamil Nadu, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The four-day red-ball fixture is scheduled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from 1 to 4 October.
Squad Announcement and Key Appointments
Mumbai and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been appointed vice-captain of the 15-member squad, selected by the Junior Cricket Committee. Raghuvanshi was India's highest run-getter at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies, a tournament India won. Notably, a finger injury requiring surgery ruled him out of KKR's final game of IPL 2026 and the Mumbai T20 league.
Raghuvanshi has since made his return to competitive cricket through the ongoing Dr (Capt) K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy 2026/27, where he has amassed 289 runs in four games, including three half-centuries, after having been KKR's leading run-scorer with 422 runs in 13 games during IPL 2026.
Batting and Wicketkeeping Lineup
The batting unit features Mumbai batters Ayush Jethwa and Manan Bhat, Maharashtra batter Digvijay Patil, and Saurashtra batter Raxit Mehta. The wicketkeeping slots are covered by Aravelly Avanish Rao — Moliya's team-mate from the U19 World Cup 2024 — and Mayank Verma.
Bowling Attack
The bowling department brings considerable variety: Punjab's left-arm spinner Emanjot Singh Chahal, Saurashtra medium pacer Chandraraj Rathod, Chhattisgarh's left-arm spinner Varun Singh Bhuie, Rajasthan speedster Ganesh Suthar, Mumbai medium pacer Nikhil Giri, Uttar Pradesh right-arm pacer Chetan Sharma, and Andhra left-arm pacer G Sumith. Emanjot, who recently featured in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 league, also played in IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals as a last-minute replacement for wicketkeeper-batter Ravi Singh, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Full Squad
Rest of India U-23 Squad: Priyanshu Moliya (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (vice-captain), Ayush Jethwa, Manan Bhat, Digvijay Patil, Raxit Mehta, Aravelly Avanish Rao (wk), Mayank Verma (wk), Emanjot Singh Chahal, Chandraraj Rathod, Varun Singh Bhuie, Ganesh Suthar, Nikhil Giri, Chetan Sharma, and G Sumith.
The Chennai showdown pits the Rest of India's emerging talent against a Tamil Nadu side that has claimed the CK Nayudu Trophy crown, making the fixture a key scouting ground for India's next generation of red-ball cricketers.
Point of View
And this year's squad selection reflects that intent. Pairing Moliya's U19 World Cup pedigree with Raghuvanshi's IPL batting credibility gives the Rest of India side a leadership nucleus that bridges age-group and franchise cricket — exactly the profile selectors want to stress-test in four-day conditions. The presence of IPL-exposed names like Emanjot Singh Chahal also signals that BCCI's junior committee is increasingly treating domestic four-day cricket not as a parallel track but as an extension of the same talent pipeline. Whether Tamil Nadu's title-winning unit can hold off this assembled talent will tell us something about the depth of the current U-23 generation.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has been named captain of the Rest of India U-23 squad for the CK Nayudu Trophy match?
Baroda batting all-rounder Priyanshu Moliya has been named captain. He previously represented India at the 2024 U19 Men's Cricket World Cup and was selected by the BCCI's Junior Cricket Committee.
Where and when will the CK Nayudu Trophy winners match be played?
The four-day red-ball match will be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from 1 to 4 October 2026, pitting Rest of India U-23 against champions Tamil Nadu.
Who is Angkrish Raghuvanshi and why is his inclusion notable?
Angkrish Raghuvanshi is a Mumbai and KKR wicketkeeper-batter who was India's top run-scorer at the 2022 U19 World Cup. He missed KKR's final IPL 2026 game due to a finger injury but has returned to form with 289 runs in four games in the Dr (Capt) K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy 2026/27.
Which states are represented in the Rest of India U-23 squad?
The 15-member squad draws players from Baroda, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, and Telangana, reflecting the BCCI's pan-India selection approach for junior representative cricket.
What is the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy?
The Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy is a BCCI-organised Under-23 red-ball domestic tournament. The winners match is a standalone fixture that pits the tournament champion — Tamil Nadu in this edition — against a specially selected Rest of India side.
