Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has said that 33-year-old uncapped all-rounder Saransh Jain is a better bowler than India all-rounder Washington Sundar. He recently received his maiden call-up for the upcoming two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka, with Sundar unavailable due to a leg injury as well.
Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official) he said: “Sri Lanka have quite a few left-handers, so you need a genuine off-spinner. Washington Sundar is not fit, but I think he (Saransh Jain) is a better bowler than Sundar. Washington may be the better batter, but as a bowler, Saransh has real quality. I’m also happy that the selectors looked beyond his age and picked him purely on merit.”
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“I’m not surprised because this guy has been performing consistently in domestic cricket, especially in red-ball cricket. He’s a workman-like cricketer who comes in and does his job consistently in the longer format. He’s a bit of an old-school spinner. You won’t see too many variations from him, but he has the consistency to keep hitting the same spot. His seam presentation is excellent, something we’ve seen from bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh. So, I think it’s a good selection,” he again shared.
However, Wasim Jaffer added that it is encouraging to see players who perform consistently in domestic cricket being rewarded with chances at the international level as well. During the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, Saransh Jain featured in seven matches, scoring 518 runs at an average of 57.55, including three fifties and a hundred. The off-spinner also claimed 30 wickets at an average of 20.43 and a strike rate of 46.50, with best figures of 6/75 as well.
Wasim Jaffer said: “Last season, he scored over 500 runs and picked up more than 30 wickets, so he has the performances under his belt. It’s good to see that players who perform well in domestic cricket are being rewarded. I’m happy for Saransh Jain because he’s a very good cricketer who has earned this opportunity through his performances.”
