Ranji Trophy 2015/16: 5 stars who could make their debut for India in 2016
India might have a settled side as far as T20I is concerned but their Test line-up is far from set in stone. The form of Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma’s inability to capitalise on the chances that have been afforded to him and the team’s failure to find someone to complement Ishant Sharma means there are several slots up for grabs in the Test team.There have been several stars from the 2015/16 Ranji Trophy, who deserve a chance to play for India.Here are 5 stars who could make their debut for India in 2016:
#1 Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer might have already caught the attention of the Indian selectors with his performances in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Daredevils, but it is his performances in the Ranji Trophy that is making him a sure-shot candidate for selection for the Men in Blue.
In a country that is as cricket-obsessed as India is and has so many brilliant batsmen like it does, the only way to break through into the team is by the sheer volume of runs. And that is exactly what Iyer has done. He ended the season as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy with 1321 runs from 18 innings, just shy of VVS Laxman’s 16-year old record for the most runs scored in a single Ranji season.
His seven hundreds is comfortably the most by anyone this season and the most interesting aspect of his runs is not just how many he has been getting but just how fast he has been getting them. He ended the season with an incredible strike of 92.70 and the most sixes in the tournament.
With Rohit Sharma not living up to his potential and not delivering despite the opportunities he has been given, it might just be time for India to look at Shreyas Iyer and groom him as the future of the Indian middle-order. With Iyer’s counter-attacking tendencies, that might not be a bad thing at all.