After a long wait, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain, at 33 years old, has finally received his long-deserved call-up to the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka. This seasoned right-arm off-spinner has made a name for himself with his consistent performances in domestic cricket and a standout showing with India A in Galle. Now, he’s ready to take on the challenge at the highest level. Reflecting on this significant milestone, Jain shared Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin as his idols.
Jain revealed Harbhajan and Ashwin remain his biggest inspirations, as he said, “I just stick to my basics. I had a camp at BCCI CoE, met with Harbhajan and I learned a lot from him. Skill wise, he told me not to make many changes. But his one line that motivates me was, to achieve something you might not need to lose something, rather you need to do something.”
"Red-ball cricket teaches patience": Saransh Jain on Fulfilling His India Dream
Jain was chosen on the strength of his persistence within the domestic circuit as opposed to performing well in the franchise leagues. Jain got his First-Class debut in 2014 but managed just eight games in his first eight years before making the change to his career. The turning point in his career came in the year 2022 when he helped Madhya Pradesh win their maiden Ranji Trophy title and helped out with both bat and ball in the knockouts.
So far, he has made himself an accomplished player with 2,223 runs at 31.75 with 188 wickets at 27.30, and he has taken ten five-wicket hauls. His best season has been in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, where he took 518 runs at 57.55 and bagged 30 wickets at 20.43.
In a recent interview, Jain said reaching the national team at 33 proves that age should not define a cricketer's ambitions, as he said, “My dream was to play tests for India. And that dream has come true, I am very happy for that. Definitely, age is just a number because fitness is so hard, and age doesn’t define your potential, 33 is just a number. Even If I hadn’t played this series, I was sure to debut in 1-2 years.”
Jain emphasized that Test cricket really values patience, a quality he honed over more than ten years in domestic cricket. If he makes his debut in Sri Lanka, he’ll be stepping onto the field as India’s oldest Test debutant since Robin Singh back in 1998. This would be yet another exciting chapter in a journey defined by consistency, experience, and unwavering belief.
