Getting bench strength tested is good, says Jharkhand coach Ratan Kumar

Kumar Kushagra (L) played for India-A against Australia-A while Shikhar Mohan (R) is in the squad to face New Zealand. | Photo Credit: Ragu R.

From M.S. Dhoni’s solo reign as the region’s cricketing hero to an influx of youngsters from the State striving to prosper at the international level, Jharkhand has come a long way in the last two decades. The proliferation of talent is exemplified by Ishan Kishan’s recent performances for India, and the growing opportunities for the likes of Anukul Roy, Kumar Kushagra and Shikhar Mohan in the India-A fold.

Kushagra was so impressive in recent weeks that he has been added to India’s squad for the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand after Ishan picked up a groin injury. Shikhar is also on the rise, illustrated by the left-handed opener’s call-up to the India-A squad for the preparatory four-day games in New Zealand.

It poses a dilemma to Jharkhand coach Ratan Kumar. While he is chuffed for Kushagra and Shikhar, having worked with them since their under-16 days, he is left with a depleted outfit at his disposal. In the long term, he says Jharkhand stands to benefit.

“We are missing a lot of players. The bench is being tested. This is good for Jharkhand cricket,” Ratan told Sportstar on Sunday. “It feels good that our boys are getting a chance for India and India-A. The other side to this is that we will not have them in our team. But we will have to get used to it. Mumbai and Karnataka always miss a few players, but their teams still do well. If you want five of your players to play for India or India-A, you will need five others who will fill the void. We have to start making this a habit.”

In Shikhar’s case, the sheer volume of runs since making his Ranji debut in the 2025-26 season has merited attention. After racking up 613 runs in eight matches at an average of 55.72 in his maiden foray, the 21-year-old has followed up with back-to-back hundreds in the first two games of the current Ranji campaign. Sandwiched between them were two half-centuries for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone and a contribution of 60 for Rest of India versus Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup.

“I have seen his development from the start. He has never really had a season where runs haven’t come. If he struggles in two or three innings, he bounces back very quickly,” Ratan said of the young southpaw. “His progression has been very good. He has ticked almost all boxes.”

For Kushagra, the challenge was to overcome the temptations of a lucrative IPL contract and show he is here for the long haul. He had been signed for ₹7.2 crore by Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2024, and then for ₹65 lakh by Gujarat Titans. To the wicketkeeper-batter’s credit, he entered the 2025-26 domestic season determined to solidify his credentials in whites. The fruits of his labour are beginning to show, with the 22-year-old notably scoring a classy hundred against Australia-A in a four-day fixture in Puducherry in September.

“Last season, Kushagra focused on red-ball cricket with me. He wanted to establish himself as a top performer in red-ball cricket too. I made him bat higher up the order,” Ratan elaborated. “He also had to improve his game against fast bowlers. He was always a good player of spin. We made him bat a lot on green pitches in practice sessions.”