Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Saransh Jain following the all-rounder’s maiden India call-up, saying the Madhya Pradesh cricketer has earned the opportunity through consistent performances in domestic cricket.

Saransh was included in India’s squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka after Washington Sundar was ruled out with an injury. The left-handed batter and off-spinner has been rewarded after impressing in the domestic circuit and during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka.

The 33-year-old played a key role in Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy triumph under Chandrakant Pandit and further strengthened his case by scoring an unbeaten 70 and picking up six wickets across two matches for India A in Sri Lanka.

Ashwin praised Saransh’s unique style of off-spin bowling and described him as a wicket-taking bowler. While acknowledging the strong competition in India’s spin department, the veteran spinner hoped Saransh would get an opportunity to prove himself at the international level.

“I am very happy for him. I have seen him. I think very highly of him. He bowls wide off the crease. He attacks. He is a different type of off-spinner. His job is to take wickets. He has done a very commendable job. I hope he gets a chance. Manav will play. Jadeja and Kuldeep will play, so he might have to sit out too. But I really hope because he has it in him to perform,” he said on Ash ki Baat.

Ashwin seeks clarity on Washington Sundar’s role

Ashwin also shared his views on Washington Sundar, stating that the all-rounder has often been judged without having a clearly defined role in the Indian Test side.

The former India spinner said the team management must decide whether Sundar is being picked primarily as a batter or as one of the frontline bowlers. According to Ashwin, defining that role is crucial for Sundar’s long-term success and would also help avoid unnecessary criticism.

“Sundar’s performance has been good. But again, in Test cricket, I want to ask Sundar’s role definition. He is a very good batter, I agree. More than handy spinner. But India has to decide and communicate to Sundar what is his first role. Is he a top six batter or is he one of my top 4 bowlers? He is a match-winning bowler. He has to bat in the top six. If I am there, I am going to tell him to bat in the top six. It is important to define his role. If India loses, the question will come whether he is a batter or a bowler. He gets criticised, but I would question how he has been used,” he explained.

Saransh’s inclusion marks a major milestone in his career after years of consistent performances in domestic cricket.

Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has been named Bangladesh’s new ODI captain, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed.

Das takes over from star all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who has been the mainstay skipper since June 2025. The 31-year-old is currently serving as Bangladesh’s T20I skipper, with the new ODI role making him captain of both white-ball sides. 

Bangladesh’s last ODI assignment saw them beaten 2-1 in Zimbabwe, which followed a historic series win over Australia at home, the first time they have beaten the mighty Aussies. Under the captaincy of Miraz, Bangladesh have played 24 ODIs, winning 10 and losing 13. He further oversaw series victories over New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies at home. Bangladesh won four successive series under the all-rounder before the loss to Zimbabwe eventually led to his replacement in the leadership role. 

BCB President Tamim Iqbal had earlier clarified that the board would be proceeding with the appointment of a single white-ball captain and a single red-ball captain, instead of having a separate captain for each format.

“We had three captains across the three formats. I believe, and the board also believes, that having two captains is the right way forward. There is nothing right or wrong about either approach, but we feel two captains make more sense, one for white-ball cricket and one for red-ball cricket. That’s why we’ve decided to appoint Litton Das as the white-ball captain, while Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as the red-ball captain.

“Towhid Hridoy will be the white-ball vice-captain, while the red-ball vice-captain [Miraz] remains unchanged. Besides, we felt having two captains across the three formats makes more sense than having three different captains. In the future, we may even move towards having a single captain for all formats,” Tamim said at a press conference as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Das has stood in as the captain of the side in seven ODIs previously, registering three wins and three defeats, and now takes on the role on a full-time basis.

The 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi seems to be being considered seriously by the BCCI as an all-format player. He has been named the vice-captain of the East Zone squad and will be deputising leadership at the Duleep Trophy 2026. Meanwhile, star wicketkeeper-batter and Jharkhand’s skipper Ishan Kishan has been chosen as the wrecker-in-chief.

The selection committee met at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and also met Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly.

The East Zone selection committee has also included a plethora of players who can be a threat to the opponent at the elite tournament, which also marks the commencement of the 2026-27 domestic season in India. The East Zone squad also includes the likes of a Bengal-heavy pace attack, with Mohammed Shami being the leader of the attack alongside Mukesh Kumar and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal.

What is more surprising is that Sooryavanshi has had a very poor first-class career thus far, adding just 207 runs in eight matches, averaging a modest 17.25. This indicates that the selection committee sees a potential beyond his batting numbers and wants the opening batter to get a taste of leadership before making his debut across formats for the senior Indian side.

“At such a young age, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becoming the vice-captain of the East Zone team is a matter of immense pride for Bihar cricket. Through his outstanding performances and mature approach to the game, he has earned the trust of the selectors,” Bihar Cricket Association president Harsh Vardhan was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald.

Apart from Sooryavanshi and Kishan, the batting unit boasts of Abhimanyu Easwaran, the experienced campaigner. Bengal’s Sudip Kumar Gharami is also expected to bat in the middle order. Kumar Kushagra is expected to be the backup wicketkeeper for Ishan, while Shahbaz Ahmed and Anukul Roy are two of the spin-bowling all-rounders.

East Zone full squad for Duleep Trophy 2026:

Ishan Kishan (captain & wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vc), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Shikjar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhransu Senapati, Denish Das, Abhijit Sarkar