Ranji Trophy 2017-18: 5 upcoming stars who can make it to the Indian team

England U19's v India U19's - 5th ODI
Prithvi Shaw, still only 18, hit three centuries this Ranji season

With domestic cricket all around the world containing a pool of talent and potential, every season has young, unknown performers who make it to their respective national sides with consistent performances in first-class cricket as well as List-A matches.

Similarly, from this year's Ranji Trophy, there were 5 such aspiring international cricketers who announced their ability with massive contributions.


#1 Prithvi Shaw, Mumbai

537 runs at 48.81 in 6 matches

The latest in a series of fantastic performers from Mumbai, teenager Prithvi Shaw took the Ranji Trophy by storm when he smashed three centuries and two half-centuries in just his second season with the most successful Ranji team. Having made his debut last year, Shaw had already got two hundreds in three matches. This season, he played 6 matches and got three more triple-figure knocks.

As a result, Shaw even landed up a deal with MRF, a rare achievement for an eighteen-year-old. Come January 2018, he would also be leading India in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. With India having won the trophy thrice, there are huge expectations from Shaw, more as a batsman if not as much as a captain.

#2 Anmolpreet Singh, Punjab

Semi Final 1 - ICC Under 19 World Cup
Anmolpreet Singh hit two double hundreds this season: 267 against Goa and 252* against Services

Top order batsman Anmolpreet Singh started for Punjab in the previous season with a List-A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Before that, he already had an experience of playing for India Under-19, having been a part of the team that reached the final in the 2016 edition.

This season, Anmolpreet made his Ranji debut, getting a half-century in his very first match. Thereafter, he attracted attention with big centuries in the group games. The first of those was a 113 against Goa, whom Punjab toppled by an innings; then there came a 267 against Chattisgarh at a strike rate of over a hundred – another match which Punjab won by an innings – and next came 252* against Services.

#3 Krishnappa Gowtham, Karnataka

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Krishnappa Gowtham has taken more wickets this season than his captain Vinay Kumar

34 wickets at 22.24 in 8 matches

An off-spinner still finding his feet in domestic cricket, Krishnappa Gowtham blossomed with 34 wickets this season, the joint third-highest tally but with a better average than Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who has as many wickets. Being the only one from his side to feature in the top thirteen list – even ahead of his experienced captain Vinay Kumar – Gowtham started the year with a five-for for India Red against India Green in the Duleep Trophy.

Consistent performances later in the Ranji Trophy from the 29-year-old gave Karnataka early momentum, as Gowtham bagged seven wickets against Assam in an innings win. Later, during the business end of the group stage, he came up with his career-best haul of 7/72 against Railways, following that up with 6/104 against a highly rated Mumbai line-up in the quarter-final.

#4 Hanuma Vihari, Andhra

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Hanuma Vihari was made the captain of the Andhra side this season and even hit a triple century

752 runs at 94.00 in 6 matches

The captain of the Andhra side, Hanuma Vihari led from the front by compiling massive runs, ending the season as the fourth-highest run-getter and by far the highest run-getter from his team. It was only last year that he switched from Hyderabad to Andhra, and seeing his potential, captaincy arrived for the 2017-18 season.

Pre-season scores of 59* in a one-day game for India Under-23 against an Afghanistan Emerging side and 105 for India Blue in the Duleep Trophy signalled his intent early.

And in just the second Ranji match, Vihari, 24, struck 150 against Baroda, who had Irfan Pathan and an in-form Swapnil Singh in their bowling line-up. In just the next game, he bashed 302* against Odisha, his maiden first-class triple century. He ended with two hundreds and three half-centuries as Andhra exited in the group stages.

#5 Navdeep Saini, Delhi

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Navdeep Saini was supposed to travel to South Africa with the Indian team, but Delhi qualifying for the final meant he was pulled out

29 wickets at 22.00 in 7 matches

There cannot be a more heartening sight for India than to see a young pacer bowling accurately and with good pace on the slow, spin-friendly home pitches. Navdeep Saini, 25, has captured his opportunity at Delhi in perfect style by bagging 29 wickets this Ranji season, behind only left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra from his team.

Saini and his pace compatriot Kulwant Khejroliya, another rising young pacer, have led the Delhi attack, playing a huge role in their journey to the final.

Saini took seven wickets against Uttar Pradesh, a game which Delhi won by four wickets; his 4/57 against Maharashtra went a long way in giving Delhi an innings win; and when it mattered the most, Saini took seven in the match again while playing Bengal in the semi-final. In fact, he was also supposed to fly to South Africa as a net bowler with the Indian team, but with Delhi qualifying for the final, he was pulled out.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava