The 92nd edition of the
Ranji Trophy begins on October 11, with the presence of
India internationals lending added heft to a tournament often devoid of star power.
Last season, with India focused on defending their T20 World Cup title at home, Ranji Trophy performances received relatively little attention while the season was on, but came under greater focus in the aftermath of
Jammu & Kashmir’s historic triumph.
Auqib Nabi is one of those
who emerged from that cycle of delayed recognition. He is now a capped India player, albeit not in the format that he’s perhaps best suited to. His rise from practising in the alleyways of Sheeri village in Baramulla, to dismissing the likes of KL Rahul and Karun Nair in a Ranji final to orchestrate J&K’s maiden triumph is the sort of story that gives domestic cricket its enduring appeal.
But Nabi’s emergence has taken two seasons of sustained excellence. That is the harder part to replicate in a tournament that travels the length and breadth of the country and is played across different geographies, conditions and surfaces.
J&K’s challenge as they step out to defend their title will be to find new heroes. Their achievement is remarkable enough given the region’s limited infrastructure. Sustained success, however challenging, could bring renewed attention to the need for better facilities in a state where the BCCI has shown, or at least sought to project, a keen interest.
The 2026-27 season couldn’t have asked for a more blockbuster kick-off, with some of India’s top players in participation.
Rahul (Karnataka),
Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai) and
Washington Sundar (Tamil Nadu) will all be part of the opening round, before they link up with the India A squad for the shadow tour of New Zealand.
This Ranji Trophy is big for players like
Sarfaraz Khan who is still knocking on the doors for a middle order spot two years after he last played a Test. And
Ayush Mhatre, who has seamlessly graduated to becoming a key member of Mumbai as well as Chennai Super Kings. Perhaps even
Mukesh Choudhary, who has emerged as a left-arm swing option.
Equally, watch out for Jharkhand’s
Shikhar Mohan, a solid 21-year-old left-handed opener in his second season. Blessed with an excellent technique and a penchant for big runs, coaches and scouts expect big things from him. Having hit
more than 600 runs in his first season, expectations are for him to surpass that tally.
Among the senior players, there’s
Mohammed Shami, who toiled tirelessly through the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy to claim 37 wickets. It’s been more than three years since he last featured in a Test, but it’s no secret he wants to return to the India set-up even as there have been subtle indications from the selection quarters that he is no longer the force he once was.
Shami hardly needs motivation, but if he is looking for some, he need look no further than his former new-ball partner
Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Four years after his India career appeared to have run its course, Bhuvneshwar has forced his way back into T20I contention through his IPL performances with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His resurgence is another subtle message to aspirants: you’re only as good as your recent performances.
As exciting as it is to see swing bowlers like Nabi or Bhuvneshwar run through batting line-ups, the upcoming season will also throw up a grand opportunity for the spinners who are next in line. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up in early 2027, and India keen on expanding their pool of options, some spots will be up for grabs.
Manav Suthar, the left-arm spinner who will captain Rajasthan, has begun well and shown enough promise to carry forward Ravindra Jadeja’s mantle, but there’s still room for a few others to emerge. Washington is largely seen as a batting allrounder, even though he has produced a few compelling Test performances, like at Gabba in 2021 or Manchester in 2025.
Then there’s Vidarbha’s
Harsh Dubey who had a Nabi-like season
two years ago. Or
Kuldeep Yadav, who has only played 19 Tests since debuting in 2017-18. This also leaves the door ajar for someone like
Saransh Jain, who became one of India’s oldest debutants at 33 during the tour of Sri Lanka in August. Jain picked up three wickets on Test debut and looked a tad undercooked, but he has put in the volume over the past five seasons for Madhya Pradesh.
There’s
Zeeshan Ansari, the legspinner whom the selectors are massively impressed with, in line to make a comeback for Uttar Pradesh after six seasons. Earlier this year in Sri Lanka, he featured in a red-ball game for the first time since Covid-19. This season is an opportunity to showcase his credentials for the selectors have taken a big punt on him. Andhra’s
Tripurana Vijay is another offspinner worth keeping an eye on. Still raw, he’s got all the basic ingredients to be a good spinner and needs a little bit of focus and guidance, which he’ll likely get under Gary Stead, the former New Zealand coach now in charge at Andhra.
While the opening round may belong to India’s established names, the season will be shaped by those who make the most of the weeks that follow. Some, like Shami, could strengthen their claims for a comeback, others will push for a first opportunity, and a few may emerge from relative obscurity.
If we get another fascinating story, like J&K’s, it’ll be a potboiler of a season.
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