How did 33-year-old Saransh Jain make it into Indian XI? A look at his journey
Saransh Jain made his debut for India in the 2nd SL vs IND Test.
India are currently in a phase of transition in Tests, with selectors looking beyond established names and rewarding players who have consistently put in the effort across formats in domestic cricket.
The second Test between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo marked another example of that approach when 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain was finally handed his debut cap.
Jain’s selection to the Indian team did not come out of the blue, nor was it an overnight decision. His journey to the doors of international cricket involved several obstacles and a decade of determination in domestic cricket. His opportunity came after the breakthrough season of 2025-26, following which the Indian selectors could no longer ignore him.
His debut came after Kuldeep Yadav was ruled out with a viral illness ahead of the Colombo Test. Veteran Ravindra Jadeja handed the debutant his first cap for India.
Saransh Jain’s decade-long domestic record
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Born in Indore, Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh during the 2014-15 season. Despite domestic dominance, he remained away from the national spotlight, steadily growing as a red-ball cricketer.
His first-class numbers eventually became impossible to ignore. Before his debut for India, Jain had already played 54 first-class matches, scoring 2,233 runs with the bat while taking 188 wickets. While averaging 31.75 with the bat, Jain has two first-class centuries to his name.
Jain’s left-handed batting style and right-arm off-spin made him a genuine all-round option rather than a specialist bowler, which contributes largely to India’s growing dynamic of all-rounders in the Indian lower order.
2025-26 Season that changed everything for Saransh Jain
The biggest push towards national selection for Jain came in the last domestic season. He added 518 runs in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 57.55, including a century and multiple half-centuries. While bowling, he also took 30 wickets at an average of 20.43.
His performances further strengthened the case when he picked 16 wickets and also scored two fifties in two matches in the Duleep Trophy, along with a match-winning spell in the final. Those performances set a new benchmark for Jain in the Indian Test team.
He broke into the Indian side, replacing Washington Sundar, who was unavailable for the Sri Lanka series. His India A performance on the Sri Lanka tour provided another major boost, where he took a six-wicket haul and also scored an unbeaten 70 with the bat, demonstrating his prowess in Lankan conditions.
When Kuldeep was unavailable for the second Test after failing to recover, the Indian team management immediately considered Jain for his Test debut.
Has Saransh Jain played in the IPL?
No, Saransh has not played in the IPL.
Who did Saransh Jain replace in the Indian Test XI?
Saransh Jain replaced Kuldeep Yadav in the Indian XI.
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Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans.