Successful Ranji Trophy season could very well be the foundation on which many domestic stars build their international career.A number of domestic Ranji players have found a place in the final squads of the IPL franchises for the 2010 season. And rather fortuitously for players, several spots are up for grabs in the Indian national team, what with its ranks being depleted owing to injuries to senior players.
Zaheer Khan, the fulcrum of the Indian pace attack, has been performing well, but there is an opening for a supporting role. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Karnataka pacer A Mithun was recently picked for the Test squad.
There is another candidate who hopes to make it to the national squad on the back of a strong Ranji season - Love Ablish. The son of a shoe merchant, he plays for Punjab in the domestic circuit and was the third highest wicket-taker in Ranji Super League this year. The medium-pacer took 36 wickets at an average of 23.88. He would be hoping that sharing the nets for Kings XI Punjab with Australian pacer Brett Lee, Indian swing expert Irfan Pathan and South African Yusuf Abdulla would help improve his bowling and attract the Indian selectors to pick him for the T20 World Cup.
The Saurashtra opener Chirag Pathak, who hit a brisk century in the Duleep final, has been drafted in by Kolkata Knight Riders. Chirag had a great Ranji season having scored 601 runs from six matches. This southpaw would be rubbing his hands with excitement at the prospect of learning from two of this generation’s greatest left-handed openers, Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle.
Also named in the KKR squad were reliable middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and Tamil Nadu’s hard-hitting opener Ganapathi Vignesh.
Royal Challengers’ S Sriram, who has turned out in Indian colours, would also be hoping to make enough of an impression during IPL 2010 to be back in the national squad.
Chennai Super Kings have signed up C Ganapathy, who was one of the Ranji Trophy's leading all-rounders this season. The Tamil Nadu seamer caught the eye of selectors when he took a five-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy final. His batting prowess was on display during the Ranji Trophy Super League – he scored 543 runs at an average of 77.57. This all-round ability should stand him in good stead and increase his chances of making the playing XI.
The domestic cricketers in IPL’s ranks would be hoping to make the most of the chance to play with, and learn from, the international stars. We now have to wait and watch if IPL 2010 would be the year they graduate from the domestic level and make a mark on the big stage.
