A new season, a new mentor.

The Jharkhand Ranji squad will get groomed under Rajiv Kumar in 2015-16 season.

Talks are doing the rounds that the former Bihar Ranji skipper will replace incumbent V. Venkat Ram as the coach of the state senior outfit.

Sources in Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) said that Kumar had been instrumental in grooming young talents who graduated to the senior side last season.

Players like Virat Singh, Ishan Kishan, Sumit Kumar and Kaushal Kumar Singh were trained under Kumar last season who was then the mentor of the state Under-19 squad.

"Kumar did an excellent job as a coach. Handing him over the Ranji mantle is just a formality now," said a JSCA member.

Outfit secretary Rajesh Verma hinted that Kumar was certainly in the frame, but refused to divulge more.