Vishnu Vinod to Lead Kerala Against Ranji Champions Jammu & Kashmir in Practice Encounters: Full Squad, Schedule

Ahead of the upcoming domestic cricket season, the Kerala team will play two practice matches against the reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir.

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has picked its squad for the encounters, which will be held in Srinagar from September 11 to 17.

Vishnu Vinod appointed Captain

Vishnu Vinod will lead the Kerala side. The team features an experienced core comprising Sachin Baby, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Salman Nizar, along with veteran Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Anand Sarwate.

Several promising young players who have impressed in the Kerala Cricket League and other recent tournaments have also been included in the squad.

Ahammed Imran, a promising player from Kerala who recently won the Kerala Cricket League title with Thrissur Titans, has also been named, while in the bowling department, Akhin Sathar and Eden Apple Tom are set to spearhead the pace attack.

After a stellar Ranji season in 2024-25, which saw Kerala advancing to the final of the competition, it was a disappointing 2025-26 season, where the southern side failed to get past the group stages and only secured one victory.

Kerala Squad

Vishnu Vinod (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Abhishek J Nair, Varun Nayanar (Wicketkeeper), Mohammed Azharuddeen (Wicketkeeper), Ahmed Imran, Abhishek P Nair, Sachin Baby, Salman Nizar, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Anand Sarwate, Anuraj J S, Abhijith Praveen V, Eden Apple Tom, Akhin Sathar, Pavan Raj, Ibnul Aftab, Vaishakh Chandran.