Shubham Ranjane Stakes Claim for USA Selection with TSK Tear
India-via-Texas batsman breaks out at the perfect time as the national team looks for more middle-order punch.
It’s not every day a US-based player saddles up alongside one of the greatest cricketers of the 21st century. It’s even rarer to know the pitch better than he does.
Such is life for Shubham Ranjane right now.
The 31 year old based out of Dallas is no stranger to pro cricket circuits around the country. Most importantly for last week, he has multiple seasons under his belt in the United States Premier League, a fall competition that features almost all of the US national team as well as a smattering of B-list imports like Gerhard Erasmus, Rahkeem “The Dream” Cornwall, and Mark Adair. That league plays every single game at Lauderhill, so when Texas captain Faf du Plessis needed a partner to break teetering Seattle in the Super Kings’ regular season finale, Ranjane was more than happy to oblige.
The two put on the fourth-highest partnership in MLC history for Texas’ third wicket with 132 off 71, which was only five fewer runs than Seattle scored as a team that night. Ranjane had 63, Faf had 62, and they got seven extras. It was the fifth time this season Ranjane has been in a 50+ partnership for the Super Kings, matching Donovan Ferreira - with whom he has teamed up three times - and surpassed only by Faf himself within the Texas ranks in 2025. He is the only Texas player other than du Plessis to hit multiple half-centuries this season, as well, although Ferreira would have easily had a second had the Washington game not been five overs (and Ranjane would have had a third, in fairness, because they were both obliterating the ball). Entering the playoffs, Cricinfo rates Ranjane as the ninth most impactful batter this season in MLC, step for step with Ferreira. He’s the fifth most impactful batter on a per-innings basis - and the top domestic batter, surpassing even Monank Patel.
Early season hiccups and a “Faf & Friends” lineup have given way to a team that can accelerate as its middle order comes in and sustain an innings. After breaking out with 70 off 45 against Los Angeles in Grand Prairie to start the second half, Ranjane is a big part of why they are, as the cliché says, peaking at the right time.
Shubham was a third-generation first class cricketer in India but cast his lot in with the United States in the summer of 2022, putting him right on the threshold for national team eligibility. He spent the last two years with Seattle and showed glimpses of what he could be in 2023 before having a mediocre 2024 campaign. A switch to Texas helped him find a rhythm and showcased some explosive power, hitting every ninth ball faced for four runs and every tenth ball faced for six. This surge could be a tipping point as the USA kicks tires on middle order options, especially in the shortest format. From a national team perspective, it’s important that he sustains this run and creates roster pressure and competition for spots.
Look, it’s no secret that Aaron Jones is out of form. He looked really bad against Nepal and only slightly better against Oman, and then got a short, sharp 35 off 17 against the Bahamas, but that’s like an Ohio State tailback running for 150 yards against Duquesne - it’s expected, and the team has way bigger goals than that. Clearly superior replacements haven’t exactly been forming a line to the left, though. Ranjane has raised his hand to be called upon and established his bona fides by outscoring Jones on the same track at a 4:1 clip in the same number of games at Lauderhill, and he has been one of the most important bats for any team in the league this season. Roster pressure will either help Jones regain his form, see him make way for Ranjane, or perhaps even a bit of both.
As TSK gears up for one of the biggest games in its short history tonight aiming to advance to its first-ever MLC final on Sunday, Ranjane has a chance to be a crucial, if somewhat unexpected piece of bringing a title to Texas. Or rather, keeping it there. But there could be more than just bright yellow and plastic whistles in his future - like a little red, white, and blue, and… I don’t know, a steel guitar? He’s a Texan now.
He can figure that part out as he goes. That seems to have worked well for him so far.
Thank you for reading Stumps & Stripes! MLC has been great for domestic players like Ranjane, and making sure they stay in the discourse as the season winds down is important - and part of why I started this newsletter! If you’d like to read similar content, check out this piece from earlier this season on Corey Anderson and the need for off-field cricket advocates here in the States.
Corey Anderson, Future Cricket Ambassador?
Two years ago, he was a powerful ball-striking middle-order allrounder who put stress on opposing teams late in an innings. One year ago, he was an effective middle-order bat who could bowl in a pinch. Now, Corey Anderson is… done for the season.
And if you enjoyed those pieces (or even if you just agreed with them), I would really appreciate a free email subscription. MLC beat coverage will wrap up soon with the final on Sunday, but there’s plenty of domestic cricket still in the pipeline with MiLC not far away. I hope you’ll join me for it!