Can outstation trio realize Kerala's Ranji knockout dream?

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has picked three outstation players in its bid to ensure that the state qualifies for the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy, the country's premier domestic tournament.

Kerala have called up opener Bhavin Thakkar and all-rounder Iqbal Abdulla, both from Mumbai, as well as Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Jalaj Saxena ahead of the new season.

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The reasoning is that the experienced Thakkar will form a steady partnership with seasoned campaigner V.A. Jagadeesh at the top of the order, while Saxena will bolster the middle order comprising Sanju V. Samson, Rohan Prem and Sachin Baby. Saxena can wreak havoc with his off-spin too.

Abdulla, a left-handed orthodox spinner, can contribute with the bat down the order as well. He will team up with K.S. Monish to form a potent left-arm spin combination.

"We've gone in for three experienced players and I hope it will give the team the much-needed balance. We had struggled to find the right opening combination last season. The same was the case with our bowling department. Though Monish (49 wickets) and pacer Sandeep Warrier (28 scalps) returned a bagful of wickets, we could notch up only two outright wins. This time around definitely we're looking at a quarterfinal berth," Kerala coach P. Balachandran told Onmanorama over the phone.

Saxena had a great run in Ranji last season. The 29-year-old picked up 49 wickets and amassed 588 runs from 10 matches as MP made it to the semifinals.

The 26-year-old Abdulla took 14 wickets and scored 169 runs from five games, while 34-year-old Thakkar featured in just two matches for heavyweights Mumbai.

However, the KCA firmly believes that both Thakkar and Abdulla will bring their experience into play and deliver at the crunch. All the Ranji matches will be played at neutral venues this season.

Pros and cons

As expected, there is an intense debate on the pros and cons of the decision to induct outstation players into the squad.

Outstation cricketers will brighten the team's prospects, but the move will deny opportunities to home-grown talents and budding local players.

The inclusion of Thakkar means young opener Mohammed Azharuddeen is most likely to warm the bench this season. The same could be the fate of young off-spinning all-rounder Fabid Ahmed, who had an impressive run last year in his debut season. Saxena's presence will mar the chances of Fabid, while left-arm spinner P. Prasanth's hopes of making a comeback have suffered a big blow with Abdulla getting the call-up.

The outstation trio will join the preparatory camp for the Ranji probables to be held later this month. Kerala open their campaign against Jammu and Kashmir in Kalyani, West Bengal, on October 6.