Saransh Jain becomes India's oldest Test debutant in 21st century
What's the story
Saransh Jain, the 33-year-old all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, has made his international debut for India. Receiving his maiden Test cap from Ravindra Jadeja, Jain entered the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo. The latter's selection comes after the injured Washington Sundar was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series. In the Playing XI, Jain replaced Kuldeep Yadav, who is out with "some infections," as mentioned by Indian captain Shubman Gill at the toss.
Details
Jain makes history
At 33 years and 145 days, Jain is now India's oldest Test debutant in the 21st century, according to Cricbuzz.
In 2000, Saba Karim made his Test debut at 32 (32y 362d) against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
Career trajectory
Who is Saransh Jain?
Born on March 31, 1993, in Indore, Jain is a potent off-spinner who also bats left-handed.
The off-spinner made his First-Class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2014/15 season.
Jain is the son of Subodh Jain, a former MP cricketer. He honed his skills at Indore's Vijay Club and played alongside Rajat Patidar, who later went on to represent India and captain Madhya Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Recent achievements
His performances in domestic cricket
Saransh's all-round performance helped MP win the 2021/22 Ranji Trophy title. He later earned an India A call-up for the series against England Lions in 2024.
Jain's stellar performances in the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy season and Duleep Trophy for Central Zone earned him a spot on India's radar.
He scored 518 runs at an average of 57.55 and took 30 wickets at an average of 20.43 in the Ranji Trophy.
In the Duleep Trophy, he scored two half-centuries and took 16 wickets across two matches to win Player of the Series honors.
Information
A look at his FC numbers
Jain has played 54 First-Class matches, taking 188 wickets at an average of 27.30 and scoring 2,223 runs at 31.75. His tally includes two centuries, 14 fifties, 10 four-wicket hauls, and as many fifers.