Abishek Porel, a wicketkeeper-batter, is part of the 17-man squad that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has assembled for the team’s first Ranji Trophy match of the season, a home game against Delhi in Kalyani. The announcement’s most talked-about aspect is his choice.
Since IPL 2026, Abishek Porel has not participated in any competitive cricket. He was detained by Kolkata police in August in relation to a case involving accusations of rape and other sexual offences. Despite this, the CAB has chosen him, sticking to the strategy it used when he was initially called up for Bengal’s practice games in Guwahati last month.
The team’s captain will be Abhimanyu Easwaran, with Sudip Kumar Gharami serving as his deputy. Indian internationals Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep are part of the pace attack. Due to an injury sustained during the Duleep Trophy, Shahbaz Ahmed is not participating.
Why has Abishek Porel’s legal status not stopped the CAB from choosing him?
A CAB official directly addressed the issue when Abishek Porel was called up for the practice matches in Guwahati last month. Unless a formal directive required otherwise, the association’s stance was that his off-field circumstances did not constitute a barrier to selection. His selection to the Ranji Trophy team has now confirmed this position. His legal and personal affairs are his own. We will act appropriately if the situation changes. However, there isn’t currently a problem on our end,” a CAB official was cited as saying.
Bengal has momentum going into the new season after winning their group and making it to the semi-finals before falling to Jammu and Kashmir, the eventual champions. As they start their title challenge, the team appears settled because the core of that squad is still mostly intact.
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Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep are all available for selection, making the pace department a clear strength. Alongside Porel, Shakir Habib Gandhi covers wicketkeeping. Although Shahbaz Ahmed’s absence leaves a void in the all-around role, the team has seven standbys that provide depth in every department.
Bengal full squad for Ranji Trophy opener against Delhi
Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Sudip Kumar Gharami (vice-capt), Sudip Chatterjee, Abishek Porel (wk), Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Ankur Paul, Sumanta Gupta, Ankit Shukla, Subham Chatterjee, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Md. Kaif, Soummyadip Mandal.
Standbys: Karan Lal, Akhilesh Yadav, Geet Puri, Abishek Kr. Raman, Subham Sarkar, Sumit Mohanta, Aditya Purohit.
