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

#2 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

One of the biggest positives for India in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup was the emergence of Rishabh Pant. The dashing left-handed wicket-keeper batsman made all the right moves and has had a brilliant start to his career.

A terrific Ranji season last year, where he scored 972 runs in 12 innings (the tournament’s fourth highest) at a phenomenal strike-rate of 107.28 was followed by a superb IPL, which led him to the T20I squad in the national team. He soon made his debut in the 3rd T20I against England in Bengaluru. He was also in the ODI and T20 squads that toured West Indies but played only the T20I game, scoring a sluggish 38. He returned to form soon after, during the India ‘A’ games.

Regarded as Dhoni’s successor in limited-overs, the time is right for Pant to make a big impact this Ranji season, as India have a lot of away tours coming up and Pant can be the backup keeper. This Ranji season could actually shape Pant’s near future.