Patidar to lead Gwalior Cheetahs in MPL 2026

Having successfully led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to back-to-back IPL crowns, Rajat Patidar is set to lead JKC Sports-owned Gwalior Cheetahs in the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20.

Patidar will captain a side eager to make a breakthrough after reaching the semifinal in 2025 but narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

Gwalior Cheetahs will feature in the opening match of the 2026 season when they face Ujjain Falcons on Wednesday at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

The Gwalior team will enter the new season with a balanced squad featuring a mix of experienced campaigners and promising young talent.

Among them is Mangesh Yadav, the leading wicket-taker from the 2025 edition with 14 wickets, while the side will continue to benefit from the guidance of head coach Aditya Srivastava, under whose captaincy Madhya Pradesh ended a 69-year wait for the Ranji Trophy title in 2022.