RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSaransh Jain, a 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, finally earned his maiden senior India call-up after more than a decade grinding away in domestic cricket.
An off-spinner who bowls right-arm but bats left-handed, Jain now finds himself alongside established spin options Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar in the squad.
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With Washington Sundar ruled out of the opening Test through injury, Jain's inclusion gives India another off-spin option, while his consistent lower-order runs add genuine value to the batting depth.
Jain's most decisive performance arrived just weeks before the squad announcement. He was playing for India A against Sri Lanka A in Galle, and he returned with figures of 4 for 92 and 2 for 66 across both innings.
Jain also struck an unbeaten 70 with the bat to help India A register a comprehensive ten-wicket win and a 1-0 series victory. Now, Jain heads back to the same Sri Lankan shores, only this time wearing India's senior Test colours.
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Who is Saransh Jain?
Jain was born in Indore on March 31, 1993, and made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh during the 2014-15 season.
The sport was never unfamiliar territory in his household, as his father Subodh Jain had himself represented Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He once nursed his own dreams of playing for India before that ambition eventually passed down to his sons.
Not long after Jain's professional career began, tragedy struck close to home. While on tour in Australia with a Madhya Pradesh club side, his father was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery. However, the news was not passed on to Jain immediately, and he only received it in full once he'd returned home.
Left unable to speak properly after the operation, Subodh communicated through a handwritten note, urging his son to stay focused on his cricket. That note has remained with Jain ever since, a quiet reminder carried through every stage of his career.
Jain's cricketing roots trace back to Indore's Vijay Club, which is a well-regarded local academy where he trained alongside a young Rajat Patidar, who is now Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Madhya Pradesh's captain.
Interestingly, it was originally Jain's elder brother who was seen as the family's brightest cricketing hope, having trained at the same club and walked a similar path. When his brother's playing ambitions didn't work out, the family's unfinished cricketing dream quietly shifted to Saransh, with his father stepping in as his earliest coach.
MORE: IND squad for SL Tests: Gill returns as captain for two-match series
How has Saransh Jain performed in domestic cricket?
Jain steadily grew into one of Madhya Pradesh's most reliable red-ball performers, with the turning point arriving during the team's historic 2021-22 Ranji Trophy title run.
He played across the quarter-final, semi-final and final, picking up 13 wickets through the knockout stages, while also contributing a crucial 57 with the bat in the final against Mumbai as Madhya Pradesh lifted their first-ever Ranji Trophy.
He continued to build on that momentum through the following season, and ended up scoring 360 runs and claiming 35 wickets in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy campaign.
His performances did not go unnoticed, and the heroics earned him the Lala Amarnath Award for the tournament's best all-round performer. That breakthrough opened the door to India A selection against England Lions in 2024. He did not disappoint and backed up his growing reputation with half-centuries in both innings.
However, the clearest push toward international selection came in 2025. Jain was named Player of the Series in the 2025 Duleep Trophy, after he claimed 16 wickets for a title-winning Central Zone side across just two matches, while also producing key half-centuries in both the semi-final and final.
He followed that with an impressive Ranji Trophy season, as he scored 518 runs at an average of 57.55 alongside 30 wickets at 20.43. These are numbers that reflected his transformation from a bowler who could bat as well, lower down the order.
Now, after impressing with India A, Jain heads back to the same Sri Lankan shores, only this time wearing India's senior Test colours.
Discipline Statistic Value Batting Innings 85 Runs 2223 Average 31.75 Fifties 14 Hundreds 2 Bowling Innings 97 Wickets 188 Average 27.30 Strike Rate 54.3 5W/10W 10/0 India vs Sri Lanka Test series 2026: Full schedule and fixtures
The two-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place in August 2026, with the first Test match to start in Galle on August 15 before the final Test in Colombo.
Match Dates Venue 1st Test August 15-19, 2026 Galle 2nd Test August 23-27, 2026 SSC, Colombo
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