Saransh Jain’s India debut against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo was special for more than one reason. The 33-year-old Madhya Pradesh all-rounder not only became India’s oldest Test debutant in the 21st century, but also entered an exclusive list involving former India stars Murali Vijay and Mohammed Shami.
Jain received his maiden India Test cap from Ravindra Jadeja before the start of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Sunday. Murali Vijay and Mohammed Shami are the only two Indians to have achieved the feat before him. His debut means he has represented India at the international level without having made an appearance in the IPL. Jain was drafted into India’s playing XI after Kuldeep Yadav was ruled out of the Colombo Test. He could, however, come in as a concussion substitute if required.
The BCCI said Kuldeep had not fully recovered from a viral illness and was therefore unavailable for selection. Jain became only the third Indian cricketer since the Indian Premier League (IPL) began in 2008 to make his international debut before playing a single IPL match. Mohammed Shami: Made his ODI debut against Pakistan in Delhi in January 2013, before playing his first IPL match for Kolkata Knight Riders later that year. Saransh Jain: Made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 2026 and is yet to play an IPL match.
He also impressed for India A during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, strengthening his case for a senior-team opportunity. For Jain, the journey to India has therefore produced two major milestones at once, becoming India’s oldest Test debutant of the 21st century and the third Indian since 2008 to make an international debut before playing an IPL match. Jain made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season and has built his career as a spin-bowling all-rounder. Across 54 first-class matches before his India debut, he had scored 2,223 runs and taken 188 wickets.
