New Delhi: Jharkhands young wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Kushagra gave a resounding reply to all those who overlooked him for the South Africa A tour. In the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 he made a statement with his bat that grabbed everyones attention. Dropped from South Africa A team responded on the field When the selectors didnt include Kumar Kushagra in the squad for the two-match red-ball series against South Africa A he decided to respond with his batting. He played a magnificent innings of 234 runs (367 balls) against Baroda. This was the second double century of his career. Promotion to the top order proved to be the turning point The 21-year-old Kushagra batted at number 3 in this match and made a brilliant comeback to form. His innings included 23 fours and four sixes which helped Jharkhand reach a massive score of 506 runs. In the first two matches he had only managed 11 and 2 runs but a quickfire 58 against Nagaland restored his confidence. Crucial partnerships and contribution to the team During his innings Kushagra forged important partnerships with Virat Singh Ishan Kishan Robin Minz Anukul Roy and Sahil Raj. His wicket fell in the 136th over after which the team quickly lost four wickets adding only seven runs. Has shown class before statistics are proof Kumar Kushagra made his debut for the India A team in February 2024. So far he has scored 1846 runs in 44 innings at an average of 42.93 with four centuries and five half-centuries. He has also been a part of the Gujarat Titans (GT) setup in IPL 2025. Story Highlights A spectacular innings of 234 runs in the Ranji Trophy after being left out of the South Africa A series Played a magnificent double-century innings after being promoted to number 3 His innings including 23 fours and 4 sixes helped Jharkhand reach 506 runs Has so far scored 1846 runs in first-class cricket including four centuries and five half-centuries