5 players to watch out for in Round 1 of Ranji Trophy 2025-26 ft. Mohammad Shami 

The Indian domestic season kick-started with short tournaments like the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy, serving as the pre-cursor to the all-important Ranji Trophy which dominates a major section of the calendar. The 2025-26 edition of the premier red-ball competition is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 15.

Defending champions Vidarbha will face Nagaland, while other heavyweights like Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, are all in action as well.

The Ranji Trophy serves as an excellent avenue for players to make a statement, with the selectors keeping a keen eye on the proceedings. The BCCI have tried to emphasise the importance of domestic cricket, and the recent guidelines have ensured a significant turnout from the high-profile players as well.

On that note, let us take a look at five players to watch out for in Round 1 of Ranji Trophy 2025-26.

#1 Mohammad Shami

The veteran pacer made a massive statement during the lead-up to the Ranji Trophy opener with his comments regarding his selection status. After being snubbed by the selectors for the ODI series against Australia, and no Test appearances since mid-2023, Shami aspires to make a late surge after proving that his fitness and workload are not a concern.

The right-arm pacer, who got some overs under his belt during the Duleep Trophy, was in action on Day 1 of Bengal's opening game against Uttarakhand. At the time of writing, he has bowled 10 overs, conceded 27 runs without any wicket so far.

#2 Abhimanyu Easwaran

The Indian top-order's dominance from the get-go, right after the onset of transition, has continued to keep Abhimanyu Easwaran on the sidelines. The top-order batter failed to get a chance during the tour of England, while he was not selected in the squad for the recently concluded home series against the West Indies.

The Bengal skipper has no other choice but to continue to push and remain in the selectors' radar to be the first in line, in case an opportunity comes up. He mustered a couple of starts in recent appearances in the unofficial Tests against Australia 'A' as well as the Irani Cup, and must be on the lookout to make it count in the Ranji Trophy opening round ahead of Team India's home series against South Africa.

#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad

The right-handed batter, despite his undeniable prowess, is slipping away in the pecking order across all formats as far as international cricket is concerned. He needs a dominant season to be back in the main squad, and after missing opportunities in the Irani Trophy after a brilliant ton in the Duleep Trophy, the Ranji Trophy is the next platform for the Maharashtra batter.

Gaikwad had to endure a testing spell against the new ball in the opening contest against Kerala. Coming in at No.4, he helped the team recover from a crumbling position of 5-4.

#4 Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson could have very well been on the flight to Australia with the rest of the ODI squad, but instead, he is on the field for Kerala in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B opening encounter against Maharashtra in Thiruvananthapuram.

The wicket-keeper batter has been in sublime touch as far as white-ball cricket, but his last red-ball appearance came in October 2024. The one-off Ranji appearance presents as a solid opportunity for him to maintain his form, and get some game time under his belt before he departs for Australia for the five-match T20I series.

Kerala showed promise last season to make it to the finals, and have begun the 2025-26 season on a strong note by rattling the opposition batters in the first session on Day 1.

#5 Vaibhav Suryavanshi

The 14-year-old batter had a stunning tour of Australia recently, and was also appointed as the vice-captain of the Bihar state team for the Ranji Trophy 2025-26. With only five first-class games under his belt so far after his debut in 2024, the upcoming season promises to be a massive one, despite the fact that he has a lot of time on his hands.

Bihar are scheduled to face Arunachal Pradesh in their opening game of the Ranji Trophy Plate in Patna. Given the kind of form that Suryavanshi is in, one can expect a big score from him to get the campaign underway. At the time of writing, Arunachal Pradesh have been bowled out for 105 in just 32.5 overs, and Suryavanshi has made a strong start to his innings while opening the batting with AN Kishor.