Ranji Trophy 2015/16: Team of the tournament

The 82nd edition of the Ranji Trophy ended on Friday, and with it, the curtains came down on a superlative campaign by the Mumbai Ranji team. A young and resurgent Mumbai team landed the knock-out punch on a Saurashtra side that failed to turn up at their best for the finals. Winning forty-one out of the eighty-two Ranji titles is a feat so extraordinary, that its hard not to compare Mumbai cricketÂs dominance in India with that of AustraliaÂs dominance in global events such as the World Cup.As we head towards the conclusion of the domestic season, Sportskeeda picks the team of the tournament for this years Ranji Trophy.While a lot of players were contenders for the eleven available spots, the following metrics were used to determine the final selection:- Priority has been given to the spot in the batting order an individual plays at. So a player who has performed better than his peers while batting lower down the order has been preferred over some player who might have scored more runs, but got those runs batting at a higher number. - There is a clear disparity between the level of competition in Pools A & B and Pool C. Preference has been given to performers in Pool A & B simply for the fact that players in these groups have performed against relatively stronger opposition.- The team composition includes an opener who doubles up as a spinning all-rounder, six other batsmen (which includes two wicket-keepers), two spinners and two pacers.

#1 Jalaj Saxena (Madhya Pradesh)

It must be disappointing for Jalaj Saxena to not make the cut for the Irani Cup, despite scoring 588 runs and picking up 49 wickets in this year’s Ranji Trophy. There’s little that a player can do apart from picking up wickets and notching up big scores.

Saxena’s utility to Madhya Pradesh has been two-fold. Not only has he been a solid, experienced hand at the top of the order, he also doubled up as a spinner and has often been used by his captain to break crucial, match threatening partnerships.

It was against Railways that Saxena produced the second-best figures in the history of the competition, taking 16 for 154, to rout the opposition within three days at Gwalior.

#2 Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai)

It has been Shreyas Iyer’s dream season this year, and there’s not a single team that he has spared.

Iyer ended the season as its highest run-getter with 1321 runs from 18 innings, falling short of VVS Laxman’s 16-year old record for the most runs scored in a single Ranji season. Iyer’s runs have come in the form of big hundreds (he has scored seven this season) and a flurry of half-centuries. Some of those half-centuries could very well have been converted into hundreds had Iyer been selfish in his approach, but the quality of his performances has been underlined by the selflessness with which he made runs.

The extraordinary bit about Iyer’s batting has been the incredibly high run scoring rate (92.70) which has necessarily translated to a higher percentage of boundaries. Iyer in fact hit the most number of sixes in the competition.

With age on his side, and talent in his stride, things can only get better for the twenty something.

#3 Sudip Chatterjee (Bengal)

Sudip Chatterjee has been Bengal cricket’s find this season. A top-order batsman, Chatterjee has initiated the change of guard from the old to the new in the state’s cricketing setup.

In recent times, only Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha have been able to knock on the selectors’ doors with some level of consistency, and now with Chatterjee in the picture, there are exciting times ahead for Bengal cricket.

Chatterjee’s USP has been his doggedness and determination to fight it out in the centre. Be it while saving the blushes for his team against Karnataka or while scoring runs against a Delhi team that looked unbeatable at one stage – the southpaw has displayed the right attitude.

His centuries have come against teams such as Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra and Vidarbha, all of whom possess more than decent bowling attacks. The important bit is that each of the 735 runs that he scored has had an immense role to play in Bengal reaching the knock-out stages after a horrendous last season.

Chatterjee’s four centuries have earned him a call-up to the Rest of India side for the upcoming Irani Cup competition.

#4 Robin Uthappa (Karnataka)

Once a mainstay in any competition involving an India ‘A’ team, Robin Uthappa seems to have fallen off the selectors’ radar lately. However, the snub has only heightened his resolve to score big for his state, and scored he has.

With 759 runs from 13 innings, including three hundreds and three fifties, Uthappa has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign by Karnataka. Uthappa’s finest knock came against Delhi on a green-top at Hubli. Batting first, Karnataka scored a mammoth 542 runs with the former India player scoring 148 of those runs. The highlight of that game revolved around Uthappa scoring 32 runs off a single over against Delhi’s Dhruv Shorey – in the process, coming close to breaking a 32-year old record.

With little or no support from his teammates, Robin Uthappa could do little to replicate the successes that Karnataka has experienced in recent times. But with fire in his belly, one can expect him to lead his state’s resurgence in coming years.

#5 KB Arun Karthik (Assam) [WK]

One of the few professionals in the circuit to have delivered for their new teams, Assam’s KB Arun Karthik was a major reason why the north-eastern state could give its more prominent counterparts, a run for their money.

Karthik took the responsibility of scoring on his shoulders, and made the bulk of the runs for his team every time. Although he was ignored by the selectors for the Irani Cup, he can take pride in the fact that he was the season’s third highest run-getter with 802 runs from 19 innings.

Some of his best knocks came against two strong sides – Maharashtra and Delhi. While Karthik claims that his 130 against Maharashtra on a difficult track at Pune was the most satisfying, observers suggest that the match winning twin half-centuries he scored again Delhi in a low-scoring encounter set the tone for his team’s campaign.

Of the top run-getters, Karthik has faced the second highest number of deliveries, suggesting that the secret to his success lies in batting for long and playing the patience game.

#6 Naman Ojha (Madhya Pradesh)

Currently the second choice wicket-keeper for India in Tests, Naman Ojha has done no wrong this season and has sent a timely reminder to Wriddhiman Saha that competition for MS Dhoni’s spot is stiff.

Ojha has scored 645 runs from 14 innings, often acting as his team’s pivot in the middle order. These runs include six half-centuries, and a hundred against eventual champions, Mumbai. The fact that Ojha has been swift behind the stumps just adds value to his role in Indian cricket.

The experienced Ojha has been called up to captain the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup, where his team is set to go head to head with the Ranji champions.

#7 Pankaj Shaw (Bengal)

It’s hard to assume that many would have observed Pankaj Shaw’s exploits in a competition that is known for its top-order batsmen scoring big runs. Shaw makes the cut to this team, ahead of many illustrious batsmen because he has performed the best any individual could while batting lower down the order.

A cursory glance at his numbers – 458 runs from 12 innings at an average of nearly forty reveals less than it should. This was Shaw’s first domestic season, despite him having been in cricket for a while now.

The maturity with which he handled sticky situations has made Shaw stand out from the rest of the crowd. Shaw’s rescue act versus Haryana at Lahli is sure to be one of this season’s talking points. Along with Pramod Chandila, Shaw (54 off 107) helped Bengal recover from 177/6 to 250/8. The partnership ensured that Bengal posted a respectable total after being five down for 112, a score that eventually earned Bengal the first innings lead.

#8 Shahbaz Nadeem (Jharkhand) [C]

As captain, and lead spinner, Shahbaz Nadeem has been instrumental in Jharkhand reaching the quarter-finals this year. His 51 wickets from just nine games, has not only ensured that he tops the wicket-takers chart, but has also made him the first cricketer in nine years to take fifty or more wickets in a season.

Nadeem’s 51 wickets have come at an average of 19.62 and a strike-rate of 41.30 and has made him one of the prime contenders for a national call-up, if it is to come by. His best effort came against Kerala where a seven-wicket haul sunk the opposition team and allowed Jharkhand to open their kitty.

The left-armer’s form hasn’t just been restricted to first-class cricket, his limited overs performances have been equally impressive. Nadeem’s strong showing with the ball, along with his astute captaincy skills make him one to look out for in the near future.

#9 Akshay Wakhare (Vidarbha)

Akshay Wakhare was the joint third highest wicket-taker of the tournament (Source: Google)

2015/16 was a landmark season for Akshay Wakhare. For most of the season, he was at the top of the wicket-takers list, only to see Shahbaz Nadeem pip him to it at the last minute.

With 49 wickets from nine matches, Wakhare eventually finished tied third with Jalaj Saxena and K Monish. The tall and lanky spinner used his height to best effect, making the ball turn and bounce almost at will. His numbers also include a healthy economy rate, and four five-wicket hauls and best match figures of 9/146.

Wakhare’s desire to stick to the basics and insistence to put the process ahead of the results is something he consciously developed after interactions with Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh at the Mumbai Indians setup.

#10 Jaydev Unadkat (Saurashtra)

After Ravindra Jadeja left the Saurashtran outfit in order to be with the Indian team, the responsibility to continue the surge in their bowling performances fell on the shoulders of young Jaydev Unadkat.

For Unadkat, who has India caps to his name, it was something new. He has not had the full responsibility of leading the Saurashtran attack for some while now but he managed to do it impressively – ending the season with 40 wickets (all-time second-best for a Saurashtra bowler in a Ranji season).

The left arm pacer’s true value however, was extracted when he took a hat-trick of five-wicket hauls and took Saurashtra to only their second Ranji Trophy final in recent years. His tally of 24 wickets is the highest by a bowler in the knockout stages of any first-class competition in India in the last ten years.

Although Saurashtra couldn’t win the title this year, Unadkat had good news waiting for him in the form of a Rest of India call-up for the Irani Cup.

#11 Krishna Das (Assam)

In a country that often prioritizes performances of the traditional centres of cricketing might, making the headlines is not an easy task and Krishna Das did exactly that.

Along with fellow fast bowler, Arup, Das ran through opposition line-ups on pitches that often favored his style of bowling. That notwithstanding, his ability to use the conditions to his advantage was a stand out factor and helped Assam beat famed teams like Punjab.

Das has been the most talked about fast bowler this year, especially since he nearly topped the wicket-takers chart, only to finish second with 50 wickets to his credit. Unlike his teammate, KB Arun Karthik, Das’ initiation into cricket took place in Assam, making this underdog story a glorious one.

Although Das failed to get buyers at the Indian Premier League auction, the selectors have already sent out a message that they are keen to take a closer look at this young fast-bowler from the North East.

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