The Ranji Trophy season 2021-2022 ended with Madhya Pradesh winning its first-ever title. Madhya Pradesh defeated 41 times champion Mumbai on June 26. Since the tournament’s beginning in 1934–1935, the famous competition has never been stopped, however, last year it had to be cancelled owing to COVID-19. This year several players stood up for their team. Here are the top 5 Ranji Trophy performers for the 2021-2022 season.
Top 5 Ranji Trophy performers for the 2021-2022
1. Shabaz Ahmed
Shahbaz Ahmed played for Bengal in this Ranji Trophy season. He displayed outstanding all-around play. Bengal advanced to the semi-finals because of his all-around performance, however, Madhya Pradesh won the game in a close contest. The 27 years old finished the competition with the seventh-most wickets and tenth-most runs scored. Shahbaz amassed a total of 20 wickets in five games, averaging 22.10, and scored 482 runs at an average of 60.25. With figures of 8/165 against Madhya Pradesh and a solitary century in the game’s second innings, he turned in his best performance.
2. Rajat Patidar
Another RCB player that stood out this season is Rajat Patidar. He made a difference with his spectacular 122-run innings on the fourth day of the summit match versus Mumbai, and in the end, he scored the winning runs to lead his club to their 1st championship. The 29-year-old finished the competition as the second-highest run-scorer and played some excellent innings for his club during pivotal moments. Patidar achieved a rare feat by making a century in both the IPL and Ranji Trophy knockout matches. The cricketer scored 658 runs in six games of the 2022 Ranji Trophy, averaging an impressive 82.25, including two centuries and five fifty-plus scores.
3. Sarfaraz Khan
After dominating the Ranji Trophy in the previous season, Sarfaraz Khan continued his impressive run in the competition this year. With 982 runs in 6 matches at an average of 122.75, including 4 hundred and 2 half-centuries; Sarfaraz finished as the highest run-getter. Sarfaraz became the first Ranji cricketer to surpass the 900-run threshold in back-to-back seasons. His totals in the succeeding seasons were 928 and 982 runs, respectively.
4. Kumar Kartikeya
Another IPL-famous player, Kumar Kartikeya of the Mumbai Indians, excelled for Madhya Pradesh all season long and served as one of the foundations for the state’s triumph. The mysterious spinner has risen to prominence via pure effort, tenacity, and skill. His perseverance paid off in Mumbai’s second innings when he finished with four wickets from 25 overs, the most for his team.
5. Shams Mulani
Shams Mulani, another Mumbai player, has kept up his impressive red ball play. With 45 wickets from 11 innings with an economy rate of 2.90 and a strike rate of 16.75, the shrewd spinner was the top wicket-taker in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy season. In addition to six 5-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls this year, Mulani tool wickets at the crucial moments of the game throughout the season.
