LUCKNOW, Oct. 9 -- Under batter Sameer Rizvi's leadership, Uttar Pradesh enter the new Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy season with a clear mandate to turn near-misses into silverware. The state's under-23 side has a proud but punctuated history in India's premier youth multi-day competition. In 2014-15, UP lifted the trophy by beating Himachal Pradesh in the final, the only title in the last 12 editions since 2007-08. Nine years later, in 2023-24, they returned to the final but fell short against a strong Karnataka outfit. That cycle of promise and heartbreak defines UP's recent Nayudu narrative as a side capable of deep runs, yet searching for the decisive edge in knockout cricket. Rizvi, already a proven run-machine at this level, embodies the experience and intent UP need to bridge that gap. In a previous Nayudu campaign, he amassed 678 runs in seven matches, finishing among the country's top run-getters and announcing himself as a big-match player. His ability to build long innings, accelerate when required, and lead from the front makes him the ideal figure to unify a talented, youthful squad. Sameer Rizvi (captain), Swastik Chikara, Kavya Teotia, Adarsh Singh, Mohd Amaan, Bhavya Goel, Manav Sindhu, Shubham Mishra, Kaartikaya Singh (w-k), Akshu Bajwa, Shoaib, Aaquib Khan, Ayush Choudhary, Vijay Kumar, Aksh Singhal, Chetanya Prasar (wk). October 12-15: Vs Maharashtra (Meerut); October 19-22" Vs Andhra (Lucknow); October 27-30: Vs Hyderabad (Hyderabad); November 3-6: Vs Railways (RSPB); January 18-21: Vs Jharkhand (Jharkhand); January 25-28: Vs Assam (TBD); February 32-5: Vs Uttrakhand (TBD) The 20th District Inter-Athletics Championship will be held at KD Singh Babu Stadium on October 15 and 16. The championship offers local athletes from the district a fantastic opportunity to compete directly at the national level in National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet, scheduled to take place in Hyderabad from November 14 to 16....