Ranji Trophy 2012-13: Top 5 bowlers so far

In my previous article, I discussed about the top 5 batting performances in the Ranji Trophy tournament so far and now, this piece will focus on the top 5 bowling performances in the Ranji Trophy 2012-13 so far.

When our selectors are struggling to find a good spinner, it would be fair to say that Indian cricket is in a mess. Fast bowling has been never been India’s forte and we’re struggling to find good fast bowlers till now. The recent series against Pakistan highlighted a young fast bowler, who could swing the ball both ways and could also provide early breakthroughs. This fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh has been a consistent performer at the domestic level and now we all know his name, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I agree that it’s too early to comment on his future in the team but at least he has shown a lot of promise and he is also very young. Another youngster Shami Ahmed also impressed one and all with his consistent bowling, especially in the death overs. I have followed Indian cricket closely over the years and these two bowlers impressed me to the core and brought some kind of hope as far Indian fast bowling is concerned.

Now, let’s talk about the top 5 bowling performances in the Ranji Trophy so far!

Ishwar Pandey, Madhya Pradesh’s medium pace bowler is the leading wicket taker in the tournament so far. Pandey has picked 48 wickets and has 5 five-wicket hauls. He is a bowler who consistently keeps it simple and has been very effective this season for MP. Although he is the leading wicket-taker, his chances of making it to the national squad are very less. The likes of Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also similar kind of bowlers and would be considered ahead of him for selection.

Sandeep Sharma bowling for India U19 (FILE PHOTO)

Second in this list is again a medium fast bowler, Sandeep Sharma from Punjab. Sandeep has been a good performer at U19 level and now he’s making his presence felt at the Ranji level. Sharma has taken 41 wickets so far and has 3 five-wicket hauls. Sandeep is just 19 years old and he would learn a lot by playing with veterans at this level. Not exactly knocking at the selector’s door currently, he’s surely one to watch out for the future. His impressive spell of 7/25 against Saurashtra was as good a spell one would ever see. He ran through the line up and looked very impressive. His good performances might earn a him an IPL contract but it would take more hard work and consistency to make it big i.e. get selected in the national squad.

Shahbaz Nadeem was impressive for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL

Third in this list is a slow left arm blower from Jharkhand, Shahbaz Nadeem. Nadeem is a very classy left arm bowler and also a very athletic fielder. Nadeem’s performance this season has been outstanding. He has picked 40 wickets so far with 2 five-wicket hauls. In my opinion, he is a strong candidate to make it to the national squad. Nadeem also caught people’s attention while playing for Delhi Daredevils in IPL. His temperament and skills were appreciated by Mahela Jayawardane who said, “he will surely represent India very soon.” His stint in IPL gave him a lot of confidence and now he’s performing at the Ranji level and if he keeps performing with the same consistency, we might see him don the blue jersey in the near future.

Mohit Sharma, another medium pace bowler from Haryana is at the number 4 spot in this list. Mohit has 37 wickets with 3 five-wicket hauls to his name in this season so far. His first look has been impressive but the chances of him making it to the national squad look unrealistic right now. His spell of 5/47 against Uttar Pradesh was very impressive and he showed a lot of character. He’s not yet a part of any IPL squad but his performances at domestic level will surely catch any team owner’s attention.

Number fifth is again a young medium fast bowler from Himachal Pradesh. Rishi Dhawan has 36 wickets in this season so far and his spell against Jharkhand where he took 6/63 was very impressive. This 22 year old bowler has been picked up by KingsXI Punjab and is expected to make an impact in this year’s IPL. He’s still in his early days and should work on his pace a little more to make an impact in tournaments like IPL.

LACK OF SERIOUS PACE!

4 out 5 in the above list are “medium” pace bowlers and one is a spinner. Fast bowlers like Awana, Umesh and Aaron need more experience because they have the potential to do well and unlike others contending for a spot in the national squad, they can bowl at some serious pace. Sreesanth, who has just recovered from an ankle injury is another bowler who promises a lot.

Indian cricket is going through a phase where there are many medium pace but very few fast bowlers. In my opinion, we must allow raw talents like Aaron and Awana to express themselves on the field because fast bowlers are the most vital weapon in the captain’s armoury when we travel outside India, particularly in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

P.S. – Quarter final performances are not included in the aforementioned stats.