Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket PlayersThe 33-year-old BCCI finally turned to: Saransh Jain's long domestic grind, family pain and breakthrough in Sri Lanka
Saransh Jain's maiden India call-up at 33 crowns an 11-year domestic grind shaped by family pain, all-round consistency and a perfect Galle audition.
Saransh Jain was the standout name when India announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. At 33, the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder has earned his maiden senior India call-up after spending more than a decade building his reputation in domestic cricket.
A right-arm off-spinner who bats left-handed, Jain has been included alongside established spin options Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, as well as Manav Suthar. With Washington Sundar unavailable for selection for the opening Test, Jain offers India another off-spin option while also bringing significant lower-order batting value.
The call-up may have come as a surprise to many, but Jain's rise has been anything but sudden. Born in Indore on March 31, 1993, Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh during the 2014-15 season. Cricket runs in the family, with his father Subodh Jain having also represented Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy.
Jain's early years in professional cricket were accompanied by a difficult personal period. Soon after the beginning of his first-class career, he travelled to Australia with a Madhya Pradesh club team. During that time, his father underwent surgery after being diagnosed with cancer. Jain learnt about the seriousness of his father's condition only after returning home. Unable to speak properly following the surgery, Subodh wrote his son a note asking him to concentrate on his cricket. Jain has continued to preserve that note through his career.
Saransh Jain's long journey to the India Test squad
Jain gradually established himself as one of Madhya Pradesh's most dependable red-ball players, with his career taking a significant step forward during the team's historic 2021-22 Ranji Trophy triumph. He featured in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of that campaign and claimed 13 wickets across the three knockout matches. Jain also showed his value with the bat in the final against Mumbai, scoring 57 as Madhya Pradesh went on to win their maiden Ranji Trophy title.
His all-round game continued to develop. During the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, Jain scored 360 runs and took 35 wickets, performances which earned him the Lala Amarnath Award for the competition's best all-rounder. He subsequently moved into the India A set-up and strengthened his case at the higher level. Against England Lions in 2024, Jain scored half-centuries in both innings of an unofficial Test and also contributed with the ball.
The strongest push towards an India call-up, however, has come over the last year. Jain was named Player of the Series in the 2025 Duleep Trophy after taking 16 wickets for Central Zone during their title-winning campaign. His performances included crucial contributions with both bat and ball in the knockout stages.
He then enjoyed another outstanding Ranji Trophy season, scoring 518 runs at an average of 57.55 while taking 30 wickets at 20.43. Those numbers underlined his evolution from a specialist spinner capable of batting into a genuine red-ball all-rounder.
Perhaps Jain's most important audition came only weeks before India's squad announcement. Playing for India A against Sri Lanka A in Galle, Jain took 4 for 92 in the first innings and 2 for 66 in the second, while also scoring an unbeaten 70. India A went on to win the match by 10 wickets and seal the series 1-0.
Now Jain is heading back to Sri Lanka, but this time as part of India's senior Test squad. At 33 and after more than 11 years in first-class cricket, his selection is a reminder that an India call-up does not always have to be built around youth and potential. In Jain's case, it has arrived after years of performances, patience and persistence.
