5 Ranji Trophy Stars Who Have Not Been Able To Represent Team India In The Test Format Since 2015

At the domestic level, Ranji Trophy is an important cricket tournament in India. It is a first-class domestic cricket championship in which multiple teams of state and regional cricket associations compete against each other. Every year, one season of Ranji Trophy takes place that witnesses cricket matches between 38 teams. Ranji Trophy matches are 4 days long, but the knockout matches are extended to 5 days too.

Bombay is the most successful team in the tournament with 41 titles, while the defending champions of the tournament are Saurashtra. The previous edition of the tournament took place in 2019-20, in which Saurashtra defeated Bengal in the final on the basis of 1st innings lead.

Since Ranji Trophy comes under First-Class cricket, players executing amazing performances in the tournament are often given a chance to play for the Indian team in Tests.

However, since 2015, there are few players who showed a fabulous performance in the tournament but still did not get a chance to represent the national team in Tests. Here we take a glance at 5 Ranji Trophy stars who have not been able to represent team India in the Test format since 2015.

5 Ranji Trophy Stars Who Have Not Been Able To Represent Team India In The Test Format Since 2015

5. Rahul Dalal

Rahul Dalal was the star batsman in the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 season. The right-handed batsman scored 1340 runs in 17 innings during the tournament, emerging as the highest run-getter.

With an average of 95.71, the 29-year-old player gave an astonishing performance in the tournament smashing 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries. However, he has been not given an opportunity to play in the Tests for India so far, in spite of his fabulous batting show in the 2019-20 season.

4. Priyank Panchal

Priyank Panchal is another batsman who has not made it to India’s Test team in spite of some good show in the Ranji Trophy. In the 2016-17 season, the right-handed batsman emerged as the highest run-scorer, smashing 1310 runs in 17 innings at an amazing average of 87.33. With his disastrous batting, he also slammed 5 centuries in the season.

Later in the 2018-19 season, Panchal scored 898 runs in 17 innings to finish as the 4th highest run-scorer. With an average of 59.87, the 31-year-old player also shattered 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries in the tournament. However, Panchal is still awaiting his selection into the national team for Tests.

3. Sheldon Jackson

Sheldon Jackson is another batsman who has not been able to make it into the team India for Tests despite a good show in Ranji Trophy. In the 2019 season, the wicket-keeper batsman smashed 809 runs in 18 innings, ending as the 9th highest run-scorer.

In the prior season of 2018-19, the right-handed batsman scored 853 runs in 21 innings, again finishing as the 9th highest run-getter. However, in spite of a good batting show in 2 consecutive Ranji tournaments, Jackson has not made it to the national Test side.

2. Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel picked 52 wickets in 9 matches in Ranji Trophy 2019-20 season. The right-arm pacer was the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, picking wickets at an average of 14.48 with 4 five-wicket hauls.

While bowler Arzan Nagwaswalla, who finished as 12th highest wicket-taker in the season, has got a chance as the standby player in the ongoing England Test tour of India, Harshal Patel has not earned any national call-up by the selectors so far.

1. Jalaj Saxena

In the last season of Ranji Trophy in 2019-20, Jalaj Saxena picked 40 wickets in 8 matches to emerge as the 14th highest wicket-taker. In the 2017-18 season, the right-arm off-spinner emerged as the highest wicket-taker, dismissing 44 wickets in just 7 matches at an outstanding average of 17.11. He also picked 3 fifers in the tournament. However, Saxena has not got an invitation to play for India in Tests so far.