How Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal have fared in Ranji Trophy: A detailed look at their domestic outings

With the BCCI placing a new focus on stars of the Indian team staying sharp for red ball cricket by returning to play domestic Ranji Trophy games, the upcoming round of fixtures provides an opportunity for those involved in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to brush up on their skill, particularly in the batting department. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant during a partnership vs Australia.(AFP)

Although all three enjoyed sharp breakouts in the domestic circuit, a lot will be demanded of Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, a young trio that will be the backbone of India’s batting for years to come. Here is a look at their past performances in the Ranji Trophy before they mark their return in the coming week.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant made his name in the IPL with innovative T20 batting, but it was his remarkable contributions for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy that earned him a call-up as a wicketkeeper-batter for India in red-ball cricket. In the 2016/17 Ranji Trophy season, Pant was one of the highest scorers, amassing 972 runs at an average of 81.

This included a mammoth 308 against Maharashtra, making him amongst the youngest triple-centurions in Ranji Trophy cricket. Pant would get fast-tracked into the Test team the very next year, making his debut in England.

Having been a fixture in the team ever since, Pant hasn’t had a reason or the opportunity to return to Ranji cricket, but he finds himself in line to represent Delhi once again in the upcoming round of matches.

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill’s breakout year was 2018, as he won player of the tournament at the U-19 World Cup, established himself in the IPL, and was amongst the finest players in the Ranji Trophy in just his first full season in the premier red-ball domestic tournament.

For Punjab, Gill scored 728 runs in just nine innings, averaging a mammoth 104 in the top order. Most of this came as a teenager: Gill had ensured that the hype around his talents was something he delivered on. His best innings was a 268 against Tamil Nadu, opening the batting against a strong unit and looking as if he was playing on a different surface.

Shubman Gill’s Test average of 35 belies a player who has shown himself to be a force in red ball cricket, although a return to the domestic circuit should stand him in good stead.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

The one from this trio to have played Ranji Trophy cricket the most recently, Jaiswal made his debut for a powerhouse Mumbai team as a 17-year-old, with his extreme talent and potential being visible that early into his career.

He would earn a starting spot in the shortened 2022 season, and would have an immediate impact in just 3 games. Playing only 6 innings, Jaiswal tonned up in three of those, including a high score of 181, helping Mumbai reach the final of the tournament. An average of 83 was enough to convince the Indian selectors that Jaiswal was the man to back for a long-term opener position, bringing him into the Indian setup after an albeit quieter season the following year.

Jaiswal has certainly delivered on his promise, inarguably India’s best batter since his Test debut in 2023.

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