Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 28 (ANI): Defending champions Bhopal Leopards have announced their squad for the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup. The side features exciting talents like Aniket Verma and Arshad Khan.

Abhishek Mohan Gupta from the Bhopal Leopards, which is owned by HMG Sports, expressed confidence in the side ahead of the tournament and said, 'The squad has been built with a strong balance of experienced and talented young players. We are very excited about the upcoming season and are confident that the team will play an aggressive and positive brand of cricket. MPL has become a fantastic platform for players to showcase their abilities, and we are looking forward to a successful campaign this year.'

Bhopal Leopards will start the campaign against Indore Pink Panthers on June 4 in the evening match at Holkar Stadium, a release said.

The new season of the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 Scindia Cup is all set to begin on June 3, with Gwalior Cheetahs taking on Ujjain Falcons in the opening match of the men's tournament. The match will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

MPL 2026 will be the biggest edition of the tournament so far, featuring an expanded format with 10 men's teams and five women's franchises. The tournament continues to grow every season and has become an important platform for young cricketers from Madhya Pradesh to showcase their talent.

The men's tournament has expanded further with the addition of three new franchises -- Malwa Stallions, Ujjain Falcons, and Royal Nimar Eagles. They will join 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 the inclusion of Gwalior Shernis and Royal Nimar Eagles. They will compete alongside Bhopal Wolves, Bundelkhand Bulls, and Chambal Ghariyals in the five-team tournament.

With more teams, bigger squads, and an increased number of matches, MPL 2026 promises to deliver an exciting season while continuing to strengthen the cricketing ecosystem in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal Leopards Squad: Ajay Mishra, Amol Kasture, Anchit Singh Thakur, Aniket Verma, Ansh Bagadia, Anurag Malviya, Himanshu Shinde, Kamal Tripathi, Kunal Rai, Manish Kumar, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Pawan Nirwani, Pranjul Puri, Priyanshu Shukla*, Rahul Chandrol, Suraj Yadav, Taanishq Yadav, Yuvraj Nema

Priyanshu Shukla is approved as a Match to Match replacement for Mohd. Arshad Khan. (ANI)