Ranji Trophy 2015/16: 5 stars who could make their debut for India in 2016

India might have a settled side as far as T20I is concerned but their Test line-up is far from set in stone. The form of Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma’s inability to capitalise on the chances that have been afforded to him and the team’s failure to find someone to complement Ishant Sharma means there are several slots up for grabs in the Test team.There have been several stars from the 2015/16 Ranji Trophy, who deserve a chance to play for India.Here are 5 stars who could make their debut for India in 2016:

#1 Shreyas Iyer

He ended the season with an incredible strike of 92.70

Shreyas Iyer might have already caught the attention of the Indian selectors with his performances in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Daredevils, but it is his performances in the Ranji Trophy that is making him a sure-shot candidate for selection for the Men in Blue.

In a country that is as cricket-obsessed as India is and has so many brilliant batsmen like it does, the only way to break through into the team is by the sheer volume of runs. And that is exactly what Iyer has done. He ended the season as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy with 1321 runs from 18 innings, just shy of VVS Laxman’s 16-year old record for the most runs scored in a single Ranji season.

His seven hundreds is comfortably the most by anyone this season and the most interesting aspect of his runs is not just how many he has been getting but just how fast he has been getting them. He ended the season with an incredible strike of 92.70 and the most sixes in the tournament.

With Rohit Sharma not living up to his potential and not delivering despite the opportunities he has been given, it might just be time for India to look at Shreyas Iyer and groom him as the future of the Indian middle-order. With Iyer’s counter-attacking tendencies, that might not be a bad thing at all.

#2 Jalaj Saxena

Saxena entered the record books as he claimed 16 for 154 against Railways (Image Courtesy: BCCI)

The job of an all-rounder is to pick up wickets and score runs, if not always in the same match but contribute in one way or another in each match. After having done that this season in the Ranji Trophy for Madhya Pradesh by scoring 588 runs and picking up 49 wickets, he must be disappointed to not have made the cut for the Irani Cup.

As an opener, Saxena has shown himself to be the bedrock upon which Madhya Pradesh have built their innings. While his average of under 40 might not be earth-shattering, he has always provided them with a solid start at the top of the order.

With the ball in hand, he has proven himself to be a more-than-handy off-spinner. His captain has trusted him enough to not only give him the ball at crucial situations but also relied on him to break partnerships that were threatening to take the game away from the side.

His 16/154 in the game against Railways, which was the competition’s second-best figures, helped them claim an easy win in three days.

#3 Krishna Das

Krishna Das was felicitated after his 100th First Class Wicket

The story of Krishna Das and Nathu Singh highlight just how much emphasis is placed on performance and potential. While Das is undoubtedly more experienced than Nathu by virtue of being five years his senior, it is the latter rather than the former that has been billed as a candidate for the Indian team.

Some of that might be down to Nathu Singh’s sheer pace, numbers don’t lie. Krishna Das has been the best fast bowler in the country by some distance and it was thanks in no small part to him that Assam reached so far in the Ranji Trophy.

He was one of only two bowlers with pick up 50 or more wickets this season in the tournament and the only pacer to do so. Although he did get help from conditions, on more than one occasion, he ran through opposition line-ups along with his partner in crime and helped Assam beat established sides like Punjab.

Having started his career in Assam, a non-entity on the map of Indian cricket, his performances have been all the more memorable. While he might not have been picked by the teams at the Indian Premier League Auction 2016, there is little doubt that if he keeps up his current performances, the selectors cannot pick this talented 25-year-old fast bowler from the North East.

#4 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur finished as Mumbai’s leading wicket-taker with 41 scalps

Shardul Thakur story’s isn’t one you are likely to have heard too often. It is not the usual boy is recognised, plays brilliant cricket, impresses everyone and there is a talk of national selection. Rather, his is a story that is proof that hard work and determination do pay off.

Few Mumbaikars are more serious about cutting it as a cricketer than a young boy who wakes up in the wee hours of the day each day to go from his hometown to play cricket. But his weight was the major talking point early in his career.

But after shedding the excess kilos, Thakur has continued to be as good, if not better, with the ball in hand. This season, he finished as Mumbai’s leading wicket-taker with 41 scalps. While all eyes have been on Shreyas Iyer, in the background, the 24-year-old fast bowler's hopes of a national call-up have slowly started to gain traction.

He bowls what many call a “heavy ball” and although he isn’t express pace, as he showed in the warm-up game against South Africa where he posed Hashim Amla some difficult questions. Given the general shelf life of an Indian pacer, his call-up cannot be too far down the line.

#5 Sudip Chatterjee

Sudip scored four centuries and 735 runs at an average just under 50

After years of searching and trying different players, Bengal has finally produced a batsman worthy of cracking it into the Indian Test side. While Sudip Chatterjee might not be the first name anyone thinks of while looking at a replacement in the top-order, he certainly should be in the reckoning.

While he may not be the most stylish or elegant batsman, like his predecessors were but the southpaw has showed on more than one occasion in the Ranji Trophy this season that he has what it takes to survive in the middle. His dogged determination and will to stay in the crease for long periods for his side is proof that he has the attitude necessary to make it at the highest level.

His Rest of India call-up to play in the Irani Cup is proof that his four centuries and 735 runs at an average just under 50 didn’t go unnoticed. While he was getting close to hundreds last year, he credits this year’s success to the conversation he has had to with former Indian stalwarts VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.

And all four of his centuries haven’t come on featherbeds or against easy attacks but against the likes of Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra and Vidarbha, all of whom have good bowling attacks. And it was thanks, largely to him that they were able to keep their head above water this season after a horrendous spell last time out.