Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India] May 30 (ANI): Gwalior Cheetahs released the squad for the upcoming season of Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup. The squad also features IPL-winning captain Rajat Patidar, along with talented fast bowlers like Akash Singh Raghuwanshi and Mangesh Yadav, adding quality and depth to the pace attack.

Madhav Singhania of Gwalior Cheetahs, owned by JKC Sports, praised Rajat Patidar and expressed confidence in the balance and strength of the squad.

'We are delighted to have Rajat Patidar in the squad. Winning an IPL title as captain speaks volumes about his leadership qualities and experience. Our squad has a very good balance of experienced players and exciting young talent, which gives us a lot of confidence going into the season. We believe this is a strong and settled group capable of playing positive cricket throughout the tournament,' said Madhav Singhania.

According to a press release from Gwalior Cheetahs, the franchise will begin the campaign against Ujjain Falcons at the Holkar Stadium, Indore, on June 3.

MPL 2026 will be the biggest edition of the tournament so far, featuring a total of 10 men's teams and five women's franchises.

Three new franchises have been added to the men's tournament with Malwa Stallions, Ujjain Falcons, and Royal Nimar Eagles joining 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 Gwalior Shernis and Royal Nimar Eagles being the new entrants. They will compete alongside Bhopal Wolves, Bundelkhand Bulls, and Chambal Ghariyals in the five-team tournament.

Gwalior Cheetahs Squad: Akash Singh Raghuwanshi, Anil Mourya, Anubhav Agarwal, Arpit Patel, Ishan Afridi, Kartik Parihar, Kuldeep Gehi, Mangesh Yadav, Parth Chaudhary, Rajat Patidar, Saumy Kumar Pandey, Tushar Verma, Vandit Joshi, Varun Shinde, Varun Tiwari, Vikas Sharma. (ANI)