Ranji Trophy 2017/18: 5 players to watch out for

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Indrajith will be looking to make an impact both as a batsman and as the recently-appointed vice-captain

The 84th edition of the Ranji Trophy is almost upon us. Defending champions Gujarat will be looking to defend their crown while the traditional powerhouses will be looking to usurp them. With India set to play a home Test series against Sri Lanka following the group stage of the Ranji Trophy, several players will be looking to use the tournament as a stepping stone to the national side.

Several Indian Test stars, including the likes of Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin are set to play in the opening round of the tournament. While most of them won't play for the entire tournament, there are several promising players who will. Some of them will be keen on making an impact in order to make it to the national side.

Here are 5 players to watch out for:

Note: Only players who have never played for India have been included in this list.

Baba Indrajith

Over 2,000 first-class runs at an average of over 45 speak volumes about just what Baba Indrajith is capable of. The 23-year-old is coming into the 84th edition of the Ranji Trophy in great form having just been announced as the vice-captain of the Tamil Nadu Ranji side.

Already this season, he has carried on from where he left off last season, when he was one of Tamil Nadu's star performers, scoring nearly 700 runs at an average of over 60. In the Duleep Trophy that was won by India Red last month, he scored a brilliant double century and recorded a fifty in the final as well. With added responsibility, Indrajith will be looking to make this season count and strengthen his credentials and push his case for a spot in the Indian side.

The 23-year-old batsman has age on his side and the fact that he can bat anywhere in the middle-order is another thing he has going for him.

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