Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 Teams: All Six Squads

Six teams. One venue. Twelve days. That’s the formula behind the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026, and the competition has already started delivering fireworks.

Amandeep Khare smashed 102 off 55 balls in the very first match of Season 3, powering Raipur Rhinos to a 90-run demolition of Rajnandgaon Panthers. That’s the kind of intent this tournament breeds.

With all squads drawn exclusively from Chhattisgarh’s talent pool, the CCPL serves as a vital scouting ground for the state’s Ranji Trophy pipeline.

Every franchise carries a mix of experienced domestic performers and hungry youngsters chasing a breakout moment.

Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 Teams

If you want to know exactly who’s playing for whom, this is the breakdown of every Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 team, their identity, and what makes them tick.

CCPL 2026 at a Glance

Before digging into individual franchises, here’s the essential tournament context. CCPL Season 3 runs from June 3 to June 14, 2026, featuring 6 franchise teams competing at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Nawa Raipur.

1 Season 2 ended with joint champions after rain washed out the 2025 final, with Raipur Rhinos and Rajnandgaon Panthers sharing the title. That unfinished business drives much of this season’s narrative.

How the Six CCPL 2026 Teams Stack Up

Here’s a contender ranking based on captaincy quality, squad balance, recent form, and tournament hunger.

This isn’t about name value alone — it’s about which side can sustain performance across a compressed 12-day window.

Every CCPL 2026 Team Profile and Full Squad

Here’s a detailed look at each franchise — their identity, strength, vulnerability, X-factor, and the complete Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 squads.

1. Raipur Rhinos

Captain: Amandeep Khare | Wicketkeeper: Daksh Kumar Parakh | Identity: Top-order powered tempo control

Amandeep, who captains Chhattisgarh across all major domestic formats — the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy — once again showcased his ability to perform on the big stage. That pedigree isn’t just a line on a CV. It translates directly into how the Rhinos pace their innings and manage pressure phases.

• Key Strength: The top three are arguably the most reliable in the tournament. Khare partnered with Amit Kumar Yadav in a 147-run opening stand in the first match, propelling the Rhinos to 228/6.
• Biggest Concern: Over-reliance on the top order. If both openers fall inside the powerplay, the middle order hasn’t been consistently tested.
• X-Factor: Daksh Kumar Parakh — his glove work plus a flexible batting slot lets the Rhinos adjust their batting card depending on match situations.
• Full Squad (20): Amandeep Khare (C), Anuj Tiwari, Harsh Sharma, Shreyam Sundram Kamal, Sahban Khan, Vaibhav Sahu, Mayank Yadav Jr, Ashish Chouhan, Prashant Painkra, Sudhanshu Verma, Lavin Coster, Amit Kumar Yadav, Kritesh Sahu, Arin Dwivedi, Prabhash Shukla, Gaurav Chaturvedi, Mohammad Sohail, Krishna Taunk, Tejasvi Kalb, Daksh Kumar Parakh (WK)
• Verdict: After that opening-night demolition, the Rhinos are the team everyone has to plan around.

2. Bilaspur Bulls

Captain: Shashank Singh | Wicketkeeper: Harsh Sahu | Identity: Death-overs chase masters

The Bulls have got something no other CCPL side can claim — a captain who’s been in the IPL trenches. Shashank became a mainstay in Punjab Kings’ batting unit and scored over 350 runs at a strike rate in excess of 160, playing a key role in Punjab’s run to the final. That experience under pressure trickles down to the entire dressing room.

• Key Strength: Shashank himself, obviously. But beyond him, the death-overs bowling unit looked sharp early on. Bilaspur Bulls beat Bastar Bisons in a 22-run result, posting 227/3 versus 205 all out.
• Biggest Concern: Top-order consistency. The Bulls leaned heavily on Shashank himself during the 2024 final run, and that dependency hasn’t entirely been fixed.
• X-Factor: Mohammad Irfan — his left-arm pace through the powerplay can flip any game inside the first three overs.
• Full Squad (20): Shashank Singh (C), Aayush Pandey, Shobhit Sharma, Mohit Raut, Prateek Yadav, Mohammad Irfan, Varun Singh Bhue, Rudra Pratap, Ankit Kumar, Harsh Rathore, Ravi Roshan Singh, Shubham Maurya, Bharat Gondwani, Anurag Mishra, Shahbaz Hussain, Rishabh Sharma, Aditya Shrivastava Jr, Abhijeet Tah, Deepak Singh Baghel, Harsh Sahu (WK)
• Verdict: Genuine title contenders. The 2024 final scars plus IPL-grade leadership make this squad dangerous in knockout cricket.

3. Rajnandgaon Panthers

Captain: Ajay Jadav Mandal | Wicketkeeper: Pawan Parnate | Identity: Defending champions with balanced spin core

Defending titles is harder than winning them. The Panthers carry the calm of joint Season 2 winners, but the opening match exposed a real problem. Rajnandgaon Panthers struggled in response, being bowled out for 138 in 16 overs despite captain Ajay Mandal’s 74 runs. That’s a familiar pattern — the captain fights alone while the rest fold.

• Key Strength: Ajay Mandal’s batting versatility. He can float between three and seven, which gives the batting lineup genuine flexibility.
• Biggest Concern: Their -4.500 NRR is among the worst opening-match deficits seen in any CCPL season. Even four straight wins may not pull them above teams with smaller deficits.
• X-Factor: Sumit Ruikar — his all-round middle-overs control unlocks two extra bowling options.
• Full Squad (19): Ajay Jadav Mandal (C), Sanjeet Desai, Ashish Dahariya, Aishwary Marya, Sahil Shariff, Abhyuday Singh, Dev Aditya Singh, Satyam Dubey, Aryan Jaiswal, Sumit Ruikar, Rahul Naik, Jivesh Butte, Shubham Patel, Vikalp Tiwari, Gaurav Mishra, Ayush Sinha, Shivam Singh, B Balaji, Pawan Parnate (WK)
• Verdict: Still capable of a deep run, but the NRR hole means they can’t afford another blowout loss.

4. Bastar Bisons

Captain: Sourabh Majumdar | Wicketkeeper: Shashank Chandrakar | Identity: High-velocity new-ball attack

The Bisons play a style that’s fun to watch but risky to back. Captain Sourabh Majumdar spearheads a pace-first powerplay attack that hunts early wickets rather than squeezing dots. On green-tinged morning surfaces, that approach can devastate any lineup.

• Biggest Concern: On flat tracks with dew, that same aggression leaks boundaries quickly. Against Bilaspur, they conceded 227/3, which tells you the margins are thin.
• X-Factor: Suryakant Tiwari — his ability to bowl long middle-overs spells keeps the Bisons honest after the powerplay adrenaline fades.
• Full Squad (19): Sourabh Majumdar (C), Rahul Pradhan, Sangeet Soni, Rishi Sharma, Karthik Naidu, Abdul Anas Khan, Shashank Tiwari, Tejas Morey, Naman Dhruw, Utkarsh Tiwari, Suryakant Tiwari, Avnish Dhaliwal, Vijay Yadav, Manraj Singh Dhillon, Ambrish Kumar Singh, Ayan Upadhay, Chinmay Vishwakarma, Shivam Yadav, Shashank Chandrakar (WK)
• Verdict: The classic dark horse. One explosive morning-session performance and the Bisons are in everyone’s playoff conversations.

5. Surguja Tigers

Captain: Ashutosh Singh | Wicketkeeper: Abhishek | Identity: Patient chases and partnership building

The Tigers excel at constructing steady target chases, which suits the second-innings night-match template at Nava Raipur. 4Evening matches may bring dew into play, making chasing a preferred option for captains. Surguja’s entire identity is built for exactly that scenario.

• Biggest Concern: Batting first and posting 175-plus remains a genuine gap. Against defensive bowling, the Tigers lack the firepower to explode.
• X-Factor: Janendra Sidar — his finishing range across the back five overs decides whether the Tigers post defendable totals.
• Full Squad (19): Ashutosh Singh (C), Gagandeep Singh, Sanidhya Hurkat, Pratham Jachak, Anand Rao, Harsh Yadav, Shubham Singh, Dhananjay Nayak, Snehil Chadda, Amitesh Pandey, Shashwat Sharda, R Krish Chopra, Janendra Sidar, Upendra Kumar Yadav, Vashudev Bareth, Diwakar Tamrakar, Vivek Yadav Jr, Rohan Taank, Abhishek (WK)
• Verdict: Outside bet for the playoffs. But string together three early wins and the chase identity becomes a genuine weapon.

6. Raigarh Lions

Captain: Rishabh Tiwari | Wicketkeeper: Alok Sahu | Identity: Defensive discipline and ground fielding

The Lions don’t have headline star power. What they do have is tight bowling lines and ruthless ground fielding, which is enough to steal group-stage wins. 2Raigarh Lions chased 189 with 9 balls to spare against Surguja Tigers in Round 1. That’s a proper chase from a side everyone wrote off.

• Biggest Concern: At just 15 players, this is the leanest squad in the tournament. 7The compact schedule is expected to test squad depth, fitness and tactical decision-making. With fewer bodies to rotate, injuries become a catastrophic problem.
• X-Factor: Imtiyaj Khan — his left-arm spin through the middle overs is the single lever Rishabh leans on to strangle chasing sides.
• Full Squad (15): Rishabh Tiwari (C), Aditya Shingh, Shubham Agarwal, Anurag Sahu, Kivnoor Singh Chhabra, Aditya Agarwal, Imtiyaj Khan, Jitesh Kumar Verma, Aayush Thakur, Praveen Kumar Yadav, Rohit Netani, Lovyam Rajput, Ashish Pandey, Pawandeep Singh, Alok Sahu (WK)
• Verdict: Classic spoiler. They won’t win the title, but they can absolutely wreck someone’s playoff maths.

Tactical View: What the Nava Raipur Surface Means for Team Selection

Here’s a subtle observation that most previews ignore: the Nava Raipur surface generally offers assistance to both batters and pace bowlers.

Early movement is often available for seamers, while batters who settle at the crease can score quickly.

It is one of the largest grounds in India by boundary dimensions, a bowler’s paradise.

That dual nature rewards teams who can negotiate the first six overs and then accelerate.

Think of Khare’s 102 — he survived the early movement, then cashed in brutally.

Sides that stack top-order hitters without a genuine anchor (looking at you, Bastar) risk 30/3 starts on seamer-friendly mornings.

For captains winning the toss in evening games, the smart money says chase.

Dew levels in Raipur during June can make second-innings bowling a nightmare.

That’s why Surguja’s patient-chase identity might be more effective than raw rankings suggest.

Key Matches That Will Shape the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026, Team List

• The Bilaspur vs Raipur match on June 8 could decide the top spot. Both sides showcased explosive batting in Round 1 and are tipped as title favourites.
• The Surguja vs Bastar clash on June 7 is effectively a playoff eliminator preview. The loser drops to 0 from 2 fixtures and faces an uphill NRR fight.
• Rajnandgaon Panthers will need at least one massive win to recover their NRR, so their game against Bilaspur on June 5 carries outsized weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many teams are competing in CCPL 2026?

The six participating teams are Raipur Rhinos, Bilaspur Bulls, Rajnandgaon Panthers, Raigarh Lions, Bastar Bisons, and Surguja Tigers.

• Where are all the CCPL 2026 matches being played?

All matches of CCPL 2026 are being played at one venue, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Nawa Raipur.

• Are CCPL 2026 tickets free?

Entry to every match is completely free this season, and the tournament will be broadcast live on Sony Ten-3. Fans register online before collecting physical tickets at the ground.

• Which team won CCPL Season 2?

Raipur Rhinos and Rajnandgaon Panthers shared the title after rain washed out the 2025 final. Both enter Season 3 as joint defending champions.

• Can only Chhattisgarh players participate in the CCPL?

Unlike many franchise competitions that recruit players from multiple regions, every cricketer participating in the league belongs to Chhattisgarh. It’s a pure state-level talent showcase.

Who Lifts the CCPL 2026 Trophy?

The Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 all squads are locked in, the early results have drawn battle lines, and the playoff race is already heating up.

Raipur Rhinos have the early form, Bilaspur Bulls carry the IPL-grade finishing edge, and Rajnandgaon Panthers have the defending-champion DNA despite that opening-night dent.

If forced to pick, the call tilts slightly toward Raipur Rhinos. Khare’s opening-night century wasn’t just runs on a scorecard — it was a message.

He’s the best batter in the tournament, he captains Chhattisgarh across all formats, and his team already holds the NRR advantage that could prove decisive in a tight points table.

But this is T20 cricket. One collapse, one rain delay, one dropped catch at the wrong moment — and the whole picture shifts.

That’s why all six Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League 2026 teams genuinely matter right up until June 14.