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United Provinces cricket team

Uttar Pradesh Cricket Team
उत्तर प्रदेश क्रिकेट टीम
Green Park Stadium Kanpur.jpg
Captain: Praveen Kumar
One-day captain: Suresh Raina
Coach: Rizwan Shamshad
Colours:      Blue      White
Owner: Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association
Founded: 1934
Home ground:
Ranji Trophy wins: 1
Irani Trophy wins: 0
Vijay Hazare Trophy wins: 1
Official website: UPCA

The Uttar Pradesh cricket team (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश क्रिकेट टीम),formerly United Provinces Cricket Team, is a domestic cricket team which is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, run by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association. The team competes in the Ranji Trophy and won the tournament in 2005-06. They have won the Ranji Trophy only once and have been runners-up on five occasions. Young talents such as Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Piyush Chawla, R. P. Singh and Praveen Kumar and have passed through Uttar Pradesh and gone on to represent India.

The team was formed in 1934 under the name of "United Provinces". The team's best performance in the Ranji Trophy in their early years came in 1939-40 when they finished as runners-up. In the 1950-51 season, the team's name was changed to "Uttar Pradesh".

Uttar Pradesh have not been strong in the Ranji Trophy cricket for any prolonged period in their history. Their only victory in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group was in the 2005-06 season. The Ranji Trophy win was one of the most spectacular comebacks in cricketing history, since at one point of time in the season Uttar Pradesh were on the brink of relegation.

They have finished runner-up twice before, once in 1997-98 against a strong Karnataka side, and once in 1977-78 against the same team under the captaincy of Mohammad Shahid and team manager was Abdul Karim Chishti, former captain Uttar Pradesh. They finished runners-up in the 2007-08 season, reprising a performance, similar to the one witnessed in the 2005-06 season, when they came back from the brink of relegation to win the championship. This time though, they lost to Delhi in the final.


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