The second round of the recently concluded Ranji Trophy season witnessed a bit of everything. Chinmay Sutar, 29, became only the second batter in Ranji history to score 400. Uday Saharan grabbed the spotlight with a cracking 161 while all eyes were on Shubman Gill.
Young Kartik Yadav, all of 19, picked up 5/37 in the second innings in Kanpur to spin a web around Goa. And veteran Bhargav Bhatt, playing his 100th First-Class game, took his career tally to 380 wickets, closing in on the magical 400-mark.
But while the unfamiliar faces impressed, a few India probables and discards enjoyed fun outings, strengthening their cases and hoping to give the selectors a happy headache. Spare a thought for those unfortunate to miss out because the competition is stiff. For those trying to break into the longer format because the T20I spots are already filled. For those who faded without being given a longer rope. And for those whose best wasn’t enough to dislodge the established names.
This list features some of Indian cricket’s brightest prospects, including fringe players who remain India probables.
Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan came in as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan for the first Test in Sri Lanka a couple of months ago. But the fact that he hasn’t played for India since October 2024 speaks volumes about his standing in the team management’s plans. Previously, he had travelled to Australia for the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy but once again warmed the benches. During his time away from the team, Sarfaraz lost oodles of weight and scored plenty of runs in domestic cricket, but it still wasn’t enough to earn him game time.
Once again, back to the grind, Sarfaraz bounced back from a rare failure in the first round to return among the runs. A 154-run knock, studded with 19 fours, once again brought him into the limelight as his 18th First-Class century helped guide Mumbai to a win over Himachal Pradesh. Regardless of where he stands in the pecking order, Sarfaraz continues to add to his First-Class record, with his average reading an impressive 64.02.
Rajat Patidar
Like Sarfaraz, Rajat Patidar last played a Test for India in 2024. Drafted in as a replacement for Virat Kohli, he endured a woeful series, scoring just 63 runs across six innings. Two years on, Patidar has become something of a legend in RCB circles, leading the team to back-to-back IPL titles. But his red-ball exploits haven’t quite helped him return to India’s Test plans. Having scored 53 and 67 for India A against Australia A earlier this month, Patidar struck 122 for Madhya Pradesh to help them take a first-innings lead over Puducherry.
Last year, Patidar smashed his maiden Ranji Trophy double-century. This year, he already has a hundred in his first hit of the season. Is there more to come?
Rinku Singh
The five sixes in one over by Rinku Singh in an IPL match was three years ago. Since then, he has made his India debut, become an integral part of the T20I setup, won gold at the Asian Games and been part of India’s Asia Cup-winning campaign, only to now struggle to find a place in the squad. By the looks of things, shifting his focus to red-ball cricket may not be a bad idea for Rinku as he looks to revive his India prospects.
He smashed 112 against Bihar in the first round and followed it up with an unbeaten 118 against Goa, even as Uttar Pradesh were bowled out for 202. In a low-scoring contest that produced just 730 runs across four innings, the weight of Rinku’s knock reads all the more significant.
R Sai Kishore
What’s better than a hat-trick? Ask Sai Kishore. That’s the the left-arm spinner revelled in as Tamil Nadu stormed to an innings victory over Uttarakhand. Sai has never quite broken into the Indian team, having played just two T20Is so far. But his recent stint with Gloucestershire in First-Class cricket, a move he made after missing out on a place in the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, has proved to be a masterstroke.
Sai Kishore returned figures of 4/40 in the first innings and followed them up with 6/34 in the second. A 10-wicket match haul. If that doesn’t grab the selectors’ attention, what will?
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Not exactly a hopeful or a fringe player, but perhaps one of the most deserving players to not be a permanent fixture in any of India’s three formats. Ruturaj Gaikwad has played 12 ODIs and 23 T20Is but is still struggling to cement his place in the Indian XI. Away from national duty, though, he has begun the Ranji Trophy season emphatically, smashing an unbeaten 101 for Maharashtra against Jharkhand. Gaikwad’s century came at No. 7 as a collective batting effort propelled Maharashtra to 527/6 declared in their only innings.
The Indian Test setup is already crowded, with Sarfaraz, Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel ahead of him in the pecking order. Gaikwad may not be close to Test selection, but his century, followed by hopefully a few more strong performances, could open the door to greater opportunities in limited-overs cricket.