An injury to Washington Sundar has opened the door for 33-year-old Saransh Jain, who has earned his maiden national call-up after being named in India’s Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, which gets underway on August 15 in Galle.
Saransh Jain has been highly impressive in the domestic circuit over the last few seasons and further strengthened his case for selection with an excellent performance for India A against Sri Lanka A. In the 2nd unofficial Test, he picked up 6 wickets, and coming down the order, he scored an unbeaten 70* in the 1st innings as India A won the match by 10 wickets to take the series 1-0.
Why the Selectors Turned to the 33-Year-Old Off-Spinning All-Rounder
India currently faces a shortage of quality off-spinners, with the team yet to find a long-term successor to Ravichandran Ashwin. Mumbai off-spinner Tanush Kotian had been a regular feature for India A, but a hand injury restricted him to just three matches in the previous Ranji Trophy season, effectively ruling him out of contention.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Nikhil Kashyap, the tall off-spinner from Haryana, made an immediate impact in the Ranji Trophy last season by claiming 26 wickets. However, his limited experience at the first-class level may have worked against him in the selection race.
With time running out and the selectors searching for a suitable replacement for the injured Washington Sundar, they turned to an experienced campaigner in Saransh Jain, who has delivered consistently for Madhya Pradesh over the last few seasons.
Notably, Jain played a key role in Madhya Pradesh’s maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 2021–22, scoring 57 runs and taking two wickets in the final.
He has shown steady progress over the years and has become a vital member of the Madhya Pradesh side. Scoring more than 300 runs and taking over 25 wickets in a season has almost become routine for him. His best campaign came in the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season, when he claimed 30 wickets and emerged as Madhya Pradesh’s leading run-scorer with 518 runs at an average of 57.55.
Jain also played a crucial role in Central Zone’s Duleep Trophy 2025 triumph and was named Player of the Tournament after picking up 16 wickets and scoring 136 runs.
Years of consistent performances and gradual development have finally earned him recognition at the highest level, and he will be eager to make the most of the opportunity on India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2026.
With several left-handers expected in Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, India may prefer an off-spinner who can turn the ball away from them. That makes Saransh Jain a strong contender for a place in the playing XI.