3 players who could be the next big Test cricket stars

Test cricket continues to demand the highest standards of skill, temperament and consistency from those who aspire to wear the whites. The domestic circuit in India remains the most reliable pathway, and the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Ranji Trophy seasons have thrown up several compelling names.

Three players in particular have separated themselves from the pack through record-setting performances, tournament-winning contributions and sustained red-ball quality.

Here are the 3 players who could be the next big Test cricket stars:

3. Harsh Dubey

Harsh Dubey is a slow left-arm orthodox bowling all-rounder from Pune who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Born on July 23, 2002, he has accumulated 144 first-class wickets at an average of 23.06, with nine five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket match hauls, alongside 1136 runs at 25.81 in 29 matches.

His 2024-25 Ranji Trophy campaign was the defining moment of his career so far. Dubey claimed 69 wickets in that season, the highest tally ever recorded by a bowler in a single Ranji Trophy season, and also contributed 476 runs. Vidarbha won the title that year, defeating Kerala in the final, and Dubey received the Player of the Tournament award. He made his ODI debut for India on June 13, 2026, against Afghanistan, further underlining his rapid rise. His left-arm spin combines accuracy with drift and dip, making him a genuine red-ball threat at the next level.

2. Ravichandran Smaran

Ravichandran Smaran is a left-handed middle-order batter who plays for Karnataka. He was part of the South Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy and has also featured in India A’s red-ball setup.

Smaran was the leading run-scorer in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, finishing with 950 runs from 9 matches at a remarkable average of 86.36. He struck 4 centuries and 3 fifties across 14 innings. One of the highlights of his campaign was a 343-run fourth-wicket partnership with Karun Nair against Kerala, which was the highest partnership of any wicket in that edition of the tournament. Karnataka reached the final but finished as runners-up, losing to Jammu and Kashmir. Smaran’s capacity to build long innings and convert starts into big scores is a quality that selectors look for in Test candidates.

1. Auqib Nabi

Auqib Nabi is a fast bowler from Jammu and Kashmir who was selected in the North Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy. He played a central role in one of Indian domestic cricket’s most remarkable stories in recent memory.

Nabi was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, a season in which Jammu and Kashmir claimed their first-ever Ranji Trophy title. The final was played on February 28, 2026, at the KSCA Stadium in Hubli, where J&K posted 584 and restricted Karnataka to 293. Prior to this season, J&K had never previously reached the top four in any Ranji Trophy competition. Nabi had also finished joint-second in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy bowling charts with 44 wickets, behind only Harsh Dubey’s record 69. His consistency across two successive seasons and his match-winning ability in a historic title campaign make him the standout name on this list.