Ranji Trophy: UP have special special strategy for Yuvraj, Harbhajan, says Suresh Raina

Keen to register outright wins in their remaining two Ranji league matches, Uttar Pradesh captain Suresh Raina on Sunday said there is a definite strategy in place for opposition players Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh when his side hosts Punjab on Monday.

With the both the sides locked at 17 points after six matches, Green Park offers an exciting contest. “Both Yuvraj and Harbhajan are very good friends of mine and I welcome them to the city. There’s no doubt that the two are great cricketers, but our team has certainly devised a special strategy for them which we will not tell but reveal on the cricket field,” Raina said. He also added that Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence will not have an effect on the team balance as UP have a lot of talented youngsters. With two wins and a single loss, UP are in the reckoning for a quarter-final berth, while Punjab, who are placed a spot above the hosts at fourth in the table, also eye a last-eight entry.

Meanwhile, Having registered their second outright win against Odisha in their last encounter, defending champions Karnataka would look to continue the winning streak when they take on table-toppers Delhi in a Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match on Monday.

Karnataka are placed fourth in the points table after securing 21 points in six matches, with two outright wins and four drawn matches, whereas Delhi are on top of the table with 24 points in seven matches, having registered three outright victories. An outright victory will push the hosts to the top of the points table. SCHEDULE Group A: Bengal vs Odisha, Haryana vs Rajasthan, Karnataka vs Delhi, Maharashtra vs Assam. Group B: Madhya Pradesh vs Mumbai, Railways vs Andhra, Tamil Nadu vs Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh vs Punjab.