Former Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Shubham Ranjane left a mark on his international debut for the USA cricket team against Nepal in an ICC Men's World Cup League 2 2023/24-2027 ODI match in Dubai on Sunday.
The Pune-born cricketer contributed with both the bat and the ball as USA brushed Nepal aside by 106 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Coming into bat at No. 7 with his team at 171/5, Shubham Ranjane played a responsible knock of 19 off 23 balls and stitched together a vital 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket with fellow Indian-origin player Milind Kumar, who scored an unbeaten 70.
The partnership was crucial in USA crossing the 200-mark in the match and setting Nepal a formidable target of 263.
With the ball, Ranjane, a medium pacer by trade, struck in his second over in international cricket as he broke a 68-run partnership between Aasif Sheikh and Bhim Sharki by rattling the latter’s stumps.
Ranajane also had opposition skipper Rohit Paudel caught for just two a few overs later, triggering a collapse which saw Nepal’s innings wrap up for a paltry 156. He finished with figures of 2/32 from his nine overs bowled.
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The debut marks a milestone in Ranjana’s cricket career. He made his first-class debut for Mumbai in November 2016 against Gujarat.
He went on to play 15 first-class matches, scoring 595 runs at an average of 31.31, and picking up 12 wickets at an average of 37.83, including best figures of 5/49.
Ranjane was drafted into the Rajasthan Royals squad for the 2019 Indian Premier League season and was with the team for a year. However, he never made his IPL debut.
The Maharashtra cricketer moved to the USA in 2022 and impressed in domestic competitions and T20 leagues before finally earning his maiden call-up for the USA national team.
Ranjane comes from a proud cricketing lineage. His grandfather, Vasant Ranjane, represented India in seven Test matches between 1958 and 1964, while his father, Subhash Ranjane, was a Maharashtra fast bowler who also featured for India A.
