Ranji Trophy 2018-19: 3 batsmen who have gone off the selector's radar due to an underperforming season
Despite the emergence of the Indian Premier League as the gateway to the Indian team, the Ranji Trophy is still considered as the No.1 platform for players to perform and get selected in the national squad. The likes of Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari got selected in the Indian team based on their performances in the Ranji Trophy only and their success on the biggest stage reiterates the standard of India's premier domestic tournament.
However, similar to the IPL, the level of competition is high in the Ranji Trophy too and it is required for a player to perform consistently for at least 2 to 3 seasons to get a chance with the Indian team. Although it is a different struggle for a player to prove himself once he gets his opportunity with the national squad, it is a monumental task in itself to make his debut for the country.
A few players who have been performing well in the past few seasons were well on course to making an appearance for India. However, a poor record in the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy has reduced their chances to make it to the national squad. They are down the pecking order and will need to start performing well again to get back on the radar of the national selectors.
#3 Ravikumar Samarth
With the likes of KL Rahul, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair not being a consistent part of the Karnataka setup in the past few seasons, Samarth had made a name for himself as a reliable batsman. Although he was overshadowed by Mayank Agarwal's brilliance in the previous season, Samarth showed that he was ready for the biggest stage.
He has been a regular starter in various List A squads and looked set to follow his statemates to the Indian squad. However, Samarth has been disappointing with the bat this season and many of the youngsters in the squad overtook him as the team's leading run-scorer. He had injury issues too and with an underwhelming performance this season, he will need to put in the hard yards again to get back into the selector's radar.