Lucknow, Nov. 5 -- After years of falling short in the Ranji Trophy knockout race, Uttar Pradesh has begun the 2026-27 season with the look of a side that believes again. They closed the first phase with a second place finish in Elite Group A, securing two wins from three matches: an innings-and-267-run demolition of Bihar, a 68-run victory over Goa, and draws against Puducherry and Baroda.

Captain Aryan Juyal is careful not to claim that the turnaround rests on one department or one player. For him, the points table is simply evidence of a squad learning to share responsibility.

"Great effort by the team, as the points table shows," Juyal said on Thursday. "We played very well. I think all three departments played very well. There were...