Cricket is considered a religion in this country. Every 5-year-old dreams of playing cricket for India when he grows up. He dreams of achieving greatness in the sport.
Now, this is not an easy dream to fulfil. One has to practise with dedication every day as he climbs up the ranks of Indian cricket. To become one of the greats, you have to first get selected in the team. You have to perform consistently in the domestic tournaments and catch the eyes of the selectors.
Also read: First among equals - The finest young batsmen in Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy is probably the most significant of all the domestic tournaments played in India. If you want to play for the country one day, you have to have brilliant performances in the Ranji Trophy.
Some of the Indian cricketing greats have gone on to win the Ranji Trophy in their domestic careers. However, a few have not been able to win the trophy even once till date. Here, we list five such cricketers who have achieved greatness at the International level but have never won a Ranji Trophy.
#5 Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh, or Bhajji, as he is called by his teammates, is one of the most successful off-spinners in the world. He is the first Indian to take a hat-trick in a Test match and was an integral part of India’s 2011 World Cup winning squad.
One would think, a cricketer of his stature must have achieved a lot in domestic cricket as well. Indeed, on a personal note, his statistics are enviable but he never won the Ranji Trophy.
He made his Ranji debut for Punjab in 1997 and is in Punjab’s current squad. In a domestic career spanning almost two decades, it is surprising that a player of his stature has never won the coveted trophy.
Harbhajan made it to the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy with Punjab on four occasions. Last year, his team crashed out in the quarter-finals. However, there is still time for him to remove his name from this list.
#4 Mohammad Azharuddin
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin became more popular for his off-field antics rather than his on-field performances. Nevertheless, he is one of the best batsmen India has ever produced.
Azharuddin is one of India’s most successful captains in ODIs. His batting records speak volumes of his calibre as a batsman. He has 22 centuries in Test cricket in 99 matches at an average of 45.03. However, surprisingly he never went on to win the coveted Ranji Trophy.
He debuted for Hyderabad in 1981 and played until 2000. Within three years of making his Ranji debut, he was called up for the national side, such were his performances.
He came the closest in 2000 to lifting the trophy that had eluded him throughout his career. However, Azharuddin’s team lost to Mumbai in the final by 297 runs. Soon after, he was caught up in match-fixing allegations and his career was cut short.
#3 VVS Laxman
‘Very Very Special’ Laxman is widely regarded as one of the best Indian batsmen in Test cricket. He played 134 Test matches for India scoring over 8000 runs and two double hundreds after making his Test debut in 1996.
Laxman was hailed for his superb timing and has shadows of his idol Md. Azharuddin in his style of play. He formed the ‘Great Indian Batting Quartet’ along with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
Much like his idol, Laxman never won the Ranji Trophy. He made his debut for Hyderabad in 1993 and played until 2012. He was excellent in the domestic circuit individually smashing numerous batting records.
Laxman has over 5000 runs in the Ranji Trophy including two triple-centuries. In 2000, Hyderabad was defeated by Mumbai in the final and although Laxman tried his best, his second innings century went in vain. This remains his team’s best performance.
#2 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh is noted for his top performances on the biggest stage, the World Cup. His efforts in the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup helped India lift both the trophies. He is known for his explosive batting and holds the record for the fastest half-century in T20s.
Yuvi, as he is called by his teammates, has over 11000 international runs and 100 international wickets. The Chandigarh-born cricketer features for Punjab in the domestic circuit and made his debut in 1997 against Orissa. His performances in the domestic circuit earned him a national call-up in 2000 and he has never looked back since.
However, his team’s best performance in the Ranji Trophy has been restricted to three semi-final appearances.
Currently, he is fighting for a spot in the national team and is Punjab’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing season. There is still a chance of him winning the coveted trophy for Punjab given the current form of the team.
#1 Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the most successful Indian cricket captain. He has won everything at the international level including the T20 World Cup in 2007 and ODI World Cup in 2011. He is also regarded as one of the best finishers in the limited format of the game.
One feather missing from his cap is the Ranji Trophy. This is probably because he featured for minnows Bihar and Jharkhand in the domestic tournaments. Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in 2000 in a match against Assam in Jamshedpur. After the formation of the Jharkhand state, he turned out for the new team from 2004.
He featured in a Ranji Trophy match in 2005 in the Plate group semi-final. This was the best performance by his team although Haryana went on to win via first innings lead. Given he is at the fringes of his international career, there is still time to lift the Ranji Trophy, a title that has remained elusive for the all-winning captain.
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