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The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee made a surprise inclusion in the Test squad for Sri Lanka tour after Washington Sundar got injured. 33-year-old Saransh Jain has been named in the squad and may end up making his Test debut in Galle as India need a right-arm off-spinner. While the selection committee is often criticised for not giving a chance to domestic performer, Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, they have rewarded Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh.
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Saransh is the third cricketer in the family. His father, Subodh Jain, had played nine Ranji Trophy games for Madhya Pradesh. Saransh's elder father trained alongside him at Indore's Vijay Club but he couldn't continue. Saransh made his Ranji debut in 2014-15 season.
Saransh was a part of Madhya Pradesh's maiden Ranji Trophy title victory in 2021-22 season. He played the quarterfinal, semi-final and final only. He made the appearances on the big stage count with 13 wickets and a half-century. He continued to perform well in domestic cricket circuit. At BCCI's Naman Awards, he received Lala Amaranath Award from then-India head coach Rahul Dravid.
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Saransh’s stellar performance in Duleep Trophy
In Duleep Trophy 2025-26, he bagged 16 wickets for Central Zone, six more than Gurjapneet Singh and Harsh Dubey. He bagged two fifers and scored 136 runs from three innings, featuring two fifties. He was adjudged 'Player of the series'.
He featured in the Irani Cup as well. In a losing cause against Vidarbha, he bagged four wickets and scored 39 runs.
Saransh shines on A
Playing for India A on recent tour of Sri Lanka, he did not get success straightaway. In the first unofficial Test, he managed to take just one wicket from 25 overs. In the drawn game, he was dismissed for a single-digit score in the second innings. He remained unbeaten on three runs in the first.
In the second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A, he had six scalps, including a four-wicket haul in the first innings. In India A's first innings, he scored 70 runs from 140 balls batting with the tail, helping the visitors post 543 and extend the lead to 177 runs. India A went on to win the game by 10 wickets.
Father’s dream close to realisation
In the same year, he was part of Madhya Pradesh club team that toured Australia for a five-match series. Madhya Pradesh won 3-0. Meanwhile, his family hit his father's illness from him. He underwent surgery after been diagnosed from mouth cancer. The treatment left him unable to speak and he wrote a short note for his son. He still carries that note with him.
Is Saransh a part of any IPL team?
Saransh has hopes of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but he has not been picked by any of the franchises. He could soon join a list of rare Indian cricketers who have made their India debuts without playing IPL cricket since the league's inaugural season in 2008. The first to achieve the feat was Murali Vijay in Tests. The other name is veteran pacer Mohammed Shami in ODIs.
Saransh Jain’s first-class numbers
Saransh has played 54 first-class games so far. With the bat, the left-hander has accumulated 2,223 runs at an average of 31.75. He has two centuries and 14 fifties in the format. With the ball, the off-spinner has 188 wickets, featuring 10 fifers. He has 10 four-fers to his name as well.
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