Top five players to watch out for in Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Musheer Khan, Shashwat Rawat and Manav Suthar are among the players to look out this season.
Since the start of September this year, the Indian domestic cricket season is progressing through quite a busy period. With the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup out of the way, the stage is now set for one of the biggest rivalries in Indian domestic cricket. The 90th edition of the Ranji Trophy will commence on October 11, 2024, and will stretch till March 2 next year, when the final will be played.
A very happening phase of the Indian domestic season is about to ensue as nearly 40 teams from five groups named Elite A, Elite B, Elite C, Elite D, and Plate will be vying to finish at the top and get their hands on the prestigious trophy. Exciting talent emerged through the ranks of numerous teams in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. We expect to see more names making it to the headlines in the forthcoming Ranji Trophy season.
So who are the likely names, and how are they gearing up ahead of their gruelling Ranji Trophy season? We bring you the top five players who have the desire and the capability to shine bright and stand out from the rest.
Musheer Khan
The 19-year-old Musheer Khan was in the form of his life in the recent Duleep Trophy edition. Making his maiden Duleep Trophy appearance, the youngster went on a rampage and toppled some age-old records in Indian domestic cricket. Playing for India B in that tournament, his side was in dire straits when he walked out to bat at 94-7.
He, along with Navdeep Saini, staged an unbelievable fightback, amassing a galloping 205 runs for the eighth wicket, which exponentially turned the dynamics of the game upside down. The duo managed to achieve the highest-ever recorded partnership for the eighth wicket in that tournament as well.
As wickets tumbled around him, Musheer’s contribution with the bat was hard to overlook as he slammed a jaw-dropping 181 (373) that involved 16 fours and 5 sixes. His ground-breaking knock of 181 is now the third-highest score ever achieved by a teenager in Duleep trophy history, helping him surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Musheer’s gutsy innings helped India B stretch their score from 94-7 to 321, proving sufficient enough to help India B register a comfortable victory over India A by 76 runs. With that innings, Musheer was able to make a strong statement and consolidate his reputation as one of India’s emerging young talents.
Unfortunately, as fate would have it, Musheer suffered a fracture in his neck in a serious car accident while on his way to join the Mumbai team for the Irani Cup. Due to his injury, Musheer was unable to partake in that tournament. However, the teenager is on the road to swift recovery and is anticipated to be fully fit for the forthcoming Ranji season.
Musheer has an exceptional first-class record, averaging 51.14 in only 9 matches. Besides, at such a tender age, Musheer also has some international experience at the U-19 level, representing India U19 in 14 matches, averaging a mind-boggling 61 with two centuries to his name. Such formidable credentials prove that he is a gifted player, thus making him a very exciting talent to watch out for.
Devdutt Padikkal
This elegant left-hand top-order batter has a chance to redeem himself and make a strong case in the upcoming Ranji Trophy. With a plethora of batting stars at their disposal, Devdutt Padikkal was overlooked by the BCCI selectors and has been left out of India’s squad for quite some time. But this trophy serves as an opportunity for him to make a comeback into India’s squad. The 24-year-old last featured for India in a home Test series against England earlier this year.
Some of his notable performances in the domestic circuit recently came in the Duleep Trophy, where he notched up a sensational 92 (124) in dire circumstances for India D. He emerged as a lone warrior and starred with the bat for India D when the chips were down. Although he couldn’t save his side from a crushing defeat, there were telling signs of what he could achieve once he started performing consistently.
Then in the Irani Cup, Padikkal put his acrobatic fielding skills to the test. His breath-taking catch to dismiss Prithvi Shaw in the second slip soon attracted the attention of the cricketing fraternity, as they were left in awe by Padikkal’s acrobatic effort on the field.
In the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, tons of runs are expected of him if he is to secure his place as a mainstay of India’s top order in red-ball cricket. Apart from his brilliant 92, Padikkal has managed to score two fifties against India B and India C, respectively. Padikkal will need to find a way to convert his modest scores into big ones to gain the attention of the selectors. The youngster has shown extraordinary brilliance in the IPL and has one century and nine half-centuries to his name.
With two T20Is and one solitary Test for India, coupled with a rich domestic record, Padikkal knows what it is like to compete at the highest level and will be hungry enough to leave an impact in this upcoming Ranji season.
Prasidh Krishna
The Bengaluru-based Prasidh Krisha is making a bit of resurgence in red-ball cricket. The future holds bright for the tall, lean fast bowler. The 28-year-old delivered glimpses of what he can achieve in his sporadic appearances in the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. But overall, he endured a moderate run in those two competitions and finished with six wickets.
But he turned out to be the chief destroyer for India A in the Duleep Trophy final. His figures of 3-50 floored India C on the final day as they were unable to salvage a draw and, as a result, lost the game by 132 runs.
However, many experts thought that the speedster did not do full justice to his potential. A big domestic season lies ahead of him, and Prasidh needs to show and amp up his fitness and appetite for delivering match-winning performances with the ball.
Prasidh is naturally tall and has all the necessary traits to qualify as a genuine fast bowler. He is quick and can consistently clock 140 clicks without compromising on swing. Moreover, the bounce and the extra zip he can generate off the surface can serve as a potent weapon for him in favourable conditions.
He could come in as a handy prospect in BGT 2024-25 Down Under should India require his assistance as a fourth seamer. Prasidh has represented India in all formats, comprising 2 Tests, 17 ODIs, and 5 T20Is, and was a key pacer of India, which won the second Test against South Africa earlier this year on a pitch deemed "unsatisfactory." A lot is expected of this speedster as he makes his way into the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
Shashwat Rawat
This 23-year-old top-order batter from Uttarakhand is yet another promising player to keep your eyes on. He emerged as a class act in the Duleep Trophy final and produced match-winning knocks of 124 in the first innings and 53 in the second innings to drive India A to a thumping win over India C.
His heroics with the bat in the high-octane finale shed light on his counter-attacking instincts as his resilience as a batter was put to the test. The youngster stood tall and defied all odds against him and his team when he walked out to bat for India A at 36-5. With his side on the brink of an imminent collapse, Shashwat, along with Shams Mulani, initiated the recovery process amid impending threats from Anshul Kamboj and Vyshak Vinay Kumar, who were breathing fire with the ball.
The pair added 67 runs for the sixth wicket before the dismissal of Mulani, but Shashwat was able to carry on and batted sensibly with the tail to drag India A to a respectable score of 297. His innings of 124 comprised 15 fours and came at a decent strike rate of 50. His fight-back with the bat helped India A secure a valuable lead, something which they were able to capitalise on in the second innings.
He went on to impress us further by smashing a well-composed fifty (53 off 67) in the second innings. Riyan Parag and Shashwat Rawat scored fifties in the second innings to extend the team's lead over India C and set them a target of 350. The match ended in India A’s favour as they managed to register a swashbuckling win on the last day of the Duleep Trophy final by bundling India C out for only 217.
Shashwat Rawat garnered a tremendous amount of praise and recognition for his remarkable innings under pressure. His laboured yet fruitful stay at the crease truly highlights the exact traits needed to excel as a batter in the longer format of the game, and the youngster so far has ticked those boxes.
The Uttarakhand-born batter has had remarkable success in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy, and the young talent will be eager to extend his prolific run in the upcoming Ranji Trophy edition. Consistent performances like these in FC cricket can very well get him close to earning a maiden call-up for team India in the red-ball format.
Overall, Shashwat averages over 50 and has two centuries and two half-centuries in FC cricket with a fair amount of U-19 experience under his belt. Shaswat has shown signs of what he can produce when thrown under the bus, and hence we can expect to see yet another stellar outing from him in this Rajni Trophy season.
Read More: Shashwat Rawat scores hundred & fifty in a game for India A: All you need to know about him
Manav Suthar
Manav Suthar is a crafty bowling all-rounder who demonstrated his worth and potential of what he can achieve on the biggest of stages. He has surely established himself as one of the long list of upcoming talents to look out for. The 22-year-old fared well last season and seems to keep getting better in his trade.
In the on-going domestic season, Manav has been among the wickets and runs when it mattered for his side the most. In the early phase of the Duleep Trophy season, Manav snapped an unbelievable 7 wickets in the first innings and one wicket in the subsequent innings of the first Duleep Trophy game, allowing India C to achieve a comfortable 4-wicket win over India D.
In his following Duleep Trophy game against India B, Manav had notable success with the bat. Batting first, India C mounted an enormous total of 525 on the back of some impressive performances from Iskhan Kishan (111 off 126) and Manav Suthar (82 off 156). Not a lot came from his bat since that game. However, he went on to shine with the ball and snapped 4 wickets in two subsequent FC games, 2 of which came in the Irani Cup against Mumbai.
Manav is an underutilised asset in the Indian domestic circuit, and it is good to see that the youngster is oozing with a lot of talent. He has only made one appearance in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he did not have much success. But these are early days for him, and he has a lot of opportunities ahead of him to prove himself as an accomplished all-round asset for his side.
The future of these above-mentioned youngsters looks bright, but it is imperative for them to step up their game and drag it a level further. Every new season comes with its own unique set of challenges, and the game demands that youngsters continuously improvise and acclimatise to the prevailing game situations better.
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