Turmoil in J&K cricket: Mithun Manhas replaces Parvez Rasool as skipper for new Ranji season

New Delhi: Despite leading Jammu and Kashmir cricket team to a fantastic win against Mumbai last season, Parvez Rasool was sacked as the captain as a result of an ongoing turmoil between the state's cricket officials.

According to a report in DNA, three days after the Iqbal Raza Ansari faction announced the J&K team with Mithun Manhas as the skipper for their first game against Kerala being played at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium from Thursday, the Farooq Abdullah faction announced its team on Wednesday.

In the Abdullah group-selected team, Rasool was retained as skipper while Manhas, who was in Delhi until the last season, wasn't even picked.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told DNA that the Ansari-led faction's team has been given the nod to field its team led by Manhas.

When quizzed Rasool of the latest developments, he said on Wednesday: "I am unaware of this. My aim right now is to focus on Thursday's match and my performance. I don't want to think about anything else that will hamper my game."

Meanwhile, ML Nehru, who is also the vice-president of BCCI, said the team chosen by the Abdullah faction is valid. "We have appointed Parvez Rasool as the captain of our team. The team which we have chosen is valid. We will send our players to the stadium for the game," said Nehru.

There are eight players common in both the lists.

Farooq Abdulla faction team: Parvez Rasool (C), Ramdayal Punia, Adil Reshi, Ian Dev Singh, Umar Nazir, Bandeep Singh, Mohd Mudasir, Paras Sharma, Abid Nabi, Shubham Khajuria, Manik Gupta, Obaid Haroon, Raman Dutta, Sajad Sofi, Manish Dogra, Amir Aziz

Imran Raza Ansari's team (which has got BCCI nod): Mithun Manhas (C), Parvez Rasool, Ramdayal Punia, Adil Reshi, Ian Dev Singh, Umar Nazir, Bandeep Singh, Mohd Mudasir, Paras Sharma, Shubham Khajuria, Amir Sofi, Rohit Sharma, Zahoor Sofi, Deepak Singh Manhas, Waseem Raza, Samad Bhat