Young Ranchi leg-break bowler Pankaj Yadav will captain Jharkhand Under-16 team in the upcoming Vijay Merchant Trophy (2016-17 season).

The 20-member squad was announced on Wednesday after a week-long training camp at Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur held recently.

Other members of the side announced by Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) are Harshit Namdev, Neil Bhaskar, Ram Roshan Sharan, Ankit Kumar, Harsh Rana, Sahil Raj, Shubhojit Haldar, Nihar Bhardwaj, Kumar Kushagra, Sushant Mishra, Shanu Kumar, Avinash Kumar, Manish Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Anand Kumar, Priyanshu Kumar, Akshant Jain, Mohit Kumar Roy and Amit Kumar.

The team was finalised by selection committee chairman Manish Vardhan and panel members K. Ishwar Rao and Kuldeep Sharmain the presence of convener Aseem Kumar Singh.

"We have stitched out a balanced side capable of coming good in the upcoming matches. The boys have shown good form in the camp and are expected to perform to their potential," said Singh, also an assistant secretary of JSCA.

Jharkhand will launch their zonal league campaign against Assam (in Assam) from December 1 to 3 and play Odisha (in Odisha, December 7 to 9) in the next match.

The state will then take on Tripura in Chaibasa between December 13 to 15 and play Bengal in Bokaro (December 19 to 21). Jharkhand will lock horns with the Northeast in their last league outing (December 25 to 27). Venue for this match is yet to be decided.