Ranji Trophy 2017: 5 players for whom this season is crucial

#3 Karn Sharma

Karn Sharma

Karn Sharma is an old-fashioned leg-spinner who puts a lot of revs on the ball. Karn has been around in the domestic arena since the 2007 season but hasn’t made a mark, as a result of which he has played only four international games for India.

After making his international debut in England (T20I) in 2014, Karn played a couple of ODIs against Sri Lanka the same year before making his Test debut in Australia in 2014 (it was a surprise as India decided to drop the experienced Ashwin). He hasn’t represented the national team since.

Karn has started the 2017/18 season on a bright note. With 15 wickets in two games in the Duleep Trophy, he was the highest wicket-taker. In the India ‘A’ series against New Zealand ‘A’, he took 16 wickets in two 4-day matches.

With Karn turning 30 in three weeks, it is now or never for him to produce impactful performances and grab the selectors' attention this Ranji season. Else, it could all go downhill for him, as India are nurturing a few promising young leg-spinners at the moment.