From coping with cricket and father's most cancers to being Duleep Trophy's Participant of the Sequence, Saransh Jain shares cricketing journey

Saransh Jain, born to a household with cricketing heritage, acquired the early entry to the love for the sport. Nonetheless, his journey into Madhya Pradesh’s home set-up is awe-inspiring. Enjoying for Vijay Membership, a well-liked one within the metropolis, Saransh educated alongside Rajat Patidar, whom he additionally defines as a really calm and composed captain. His father-cum-coach, Subodh Jain, is a former Ranji Trophy participant himself. Subodh, who as soon as had a dream of donning the Indian jersey, continues to take action by Saransh, his youthful son.

And Saransh isn’t any rookie. He has had constant performances in Ranji and different home tournaments for no matter facet he performs for. His most-recent outings for Central Zone within the Duleep Trophy 2025 gave him a widespread reckoning for his Participant of the Match efficiency, taking a staggering 16 wickets, essentially the most this yr, whereas additionally chipping in with half-centuries within the semi-final and the ultimate towards the West Zone and South Zone, respectively.

In an unique chat with CricTracker, Saransh was type sufficient to share no matter was requested, and didn’t mince his phrases in narrating his journey to being a high First-Class cricketer.

Excerpts from the interview

What’s your uncooked feeling after successful the Duleep Trophy with Central Zone and likewise getting a Participant of the Sequence?

For the final couple of years, I’ve been performing persistently, which has taken me to a circle the place the nationwide selectors are keeping track of me. It feels good to be getting the Participant of the Sequence, since it’s such an essential match. Like each participant, I additionally need my group to win, and if I carry out in group’s successful trigger, then it helps me in rising my cricket to the following step.

Presently, I’m completely prepared to offer it my all, and if the selectors name me into the nationwide facet, I’m prepared to offer it my all in any capability or any position provided. My sole function of taking part in cricket for such a very long time has solely been to see myself play on the highest stage. You by no means know while you get a name, however like everybody else, I’m prepared for something that comes my manner.

What retains you pushed to maintain taking part in cricket for thus lengthy. What’s your supply of inspiration to being linked to the sport?

Firstly, I want to point out that I come from a cricketing household. My father performed Ranji for MP. My elder brother additionally performed, and I used to go to the membership for coaching in my preliminary days alongside bhaiya. Sadly, he needed to drop his plans of taking part in, however I continued engaged on my sport.

Nonetheless, essentially the most inspiring second got here once I had as soon as gone to Australia with Madhya Pradesh facet for a camp. There, once I was taking part in, my father acquired recognized with mouth most cancers, and I acquired to know solely upon my return to Indore. He had undergone a couple of chemotherapies as a consequence of which he couldn’t communicate. So he wrote a word for me studying, ‘Simply focus in your sport, I’ll get effectively quickly.’ I nonetheless have that word with me, and if aside from taking part in for myself, if there may be something, I need to proceed taking part in cricket solely to see my father completely happy.

You bought the Lala Amarnath award for the Greatest All-Rounder from Rahul Dravid a few years again. How would you outline that season?

I spotted my all-round potential nearly seven years after my Ranji debut, as we performed the ultimate towards Mumbai in 2021-22 season and I scored a fifty there. That was the turning level as an all-rounder for me, as a result of once I scored my maiden fifty towards a group like Mumbai, it turned an important motivation and I additionally had a sense that I can bat too. 

Then within the following season, I saved scoring effectively and that’s once I was honoured with the Lala Amarnath Award, which I acquired from Rahul Dravid on the BCCI Naman Awards. So I’ve at all times believed that if my performances are good, I’ll get the rewards that observe the onerous work. So I at all times belief the method of continuous working in direction of your beliefs and the outcomes will at all times observe.

Together with your all-rounder capabilities, do you suppose you may play the position of Ravichandran Ashwin within the Indian group if given an opportunity?

I can’t evaluate myself to Ashwin sir, however undoubtedly, I might need to contribute to the very best of my talents for the Indian group. Ashwin has been a legend of this sport, so taking his place shouldn’t be doable, however I’m prepared to offer my 100 per cent to the group’s trigger and able to play to the wants of the group.

The BCCI has mandated nationwide cricketers to play home cricket. Has this helped the home cricketers in any manner, since they instantly get to play with worldwide stars?

Undoubtedly, it has helped the home cricketers. Not too long ago within the Duleep Trophy match, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the 2 gamers with whom I learnt so much. Gaikwad, even after getting the large rating, clearly displaying that he had persistence and aimed to go even larger.

From Shreyas Iyer, I learnt that he fears nothing on area whereas batting. He has his personal fashion of batting, the place he’ll slog the primary ball he faces whether it is within the arc. So the intent of Iyer and the persistence of Ruturaj is one thing that’s value studying once they play home cricket.

How would you outline the traits of Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy expertise?

One factor that’s good about him is that he at all times backs his gamers so much. I’ve by no means seen him go towards the idea of his participant and permits him to bowl or bat with freedom. And it is a very huge plus level for a profitable captain.

Do you suppose Madhya Pradesh deserves an IPL group of its personal, and what needs to be the title if there may be one?

In the previous few years, gamers from MP have began gaining widespread recognition across the globe. A handful of MP guys are taking part in within the IPL as effectively. MP additionally has its personal T20 league with the initiative of Jyotiraditya Scindia, and gamers who carried out right here have been picked within the IPL and did effectively there too. There are numerous gifted gamers in MP and Scindia Ji has provided that platform to the locals. So Madhya Pradesh does deserve an IPL franchise of its personal, and if I have been to offer a reputation, it might be MP Royal Tigers.

Speaking about MP and IPL, it’s unimaginable to not point out the title of Rajat Patidar. What makes him such a profitable captain? Are you able to categorical your ideas?

Rajat and I’ve been taking part in collectively since our Underneath-12 days. Like me, he’s additionally an introvert, as a consequence of which we developed an excellent bond since childhood. Whereas rising up in our cricketing careers collectively, I by no means thought he’ll go on to turn into such an excellent captain, however I at all times knew that he’ll play on the highest stage. 

Since his younger days, Rajat has been a really calm particular person, however as a batsman, he has at all times been extraordinarily aggressive. He’s additionally a grasp at studying the state of affairs, and that ability displays in his captaincy. And whereas he has at all times been an excellent batter, I believe RCB have been fast to note his captaincy expertise as effectively. His expertise and the power to learn the sport effectively will need to have helped RCB to carry their maiden title on the most important stage in cricket like IPL. In order that’s what makes him a really particular participant as a captain. And this makes me really feel happy with him as effectively.

If Patidar pushes for you on the IPL 2026 public sale to play for RCB, will you be delighted? Or another franchise that you just’d love taking part in for?

I’ll actually wish to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as a result of it has been certainly one of my favorite groups because the begin. Nonetheless, I additionally like Chennai Tremendous Kings so much, so wherever I get a chance to play, I might love taking part in within the IPL. In IPL, I like Ashwin and MS Dhoni so much. They each have been my all-time favourites. As a spinner, I like Ashwin and as a participant, I’ve a dream of taking part in as soon as underneath Mahi bhai’s captaincy. Hopefully, I can share the dressing room with them a while quickly.

There are literally thousands of gamers who play Ranji Trophy, however only some make a reputation for themselves on the again of their performances. However to those that don’t, what’s the month-to-month expense on food regimen and coaching required to maintain your sport on top of things, or enhance it for that matter?

Lately, cricket has turn into very quick, whether or not it’s the T20 or Exams. For a cricketer taking part in professionally, food regimen and health are of the very best precedence. As a result of the sport can enhance solely when the coaching and food regimen are in examine. And to have the ability to do this, I believe 20-25,000 is the minimal requirement as a result of the dietary supplements are very costly and particular coaching takes a good toll on the pocket as effectively. And the BCCI pay construction has improved not too long ago, so a cricketer is ready to handle bearing these bills for his finest sport.