Ranji Trophy Star Achieves Mega First In 90 Years. Not Even Kapil Dev Has Done It
All-rounder Jalaj Saxena has become the first player to bring up a monumental Ranji Trophy record.
Kerala's all-rounder Jalaj Saxena became the first player to achieve the remarkable double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, which started in 1934, during Elite Group C fourth round match against Uttar Pradesh at St Xavier's College Ground. Saxena, who crossed the 6000-run mark in Kerala's previous match in Kolkata, reached the milestone after he claimed his fourth dismissal of the game, taking the wicket of left-hander Nitish Rana with a sharp off-spin delivery that saw Rana stumped.
The 37-year-old is the 13th bowler in the Ranji Trophy history to have reached the 400-wicket mark. His 400th wicket also marked his 29th five-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy.
Saxena began his First-Class career in 2005 with Madhya Pradesh, taking 159 wickets and scoring 4041 runs in his 11-year stint with the state.
In the 2016-17 season, he shifted to Kerala andhas become the second-highest wicket-taker in First-Class cricket for the team, trailing only KN Ananthapadmanabhan.
Last season, Saxena joined the ranks of legends when he became only the fourth player in Indian domestic cricket history to achieve 9000 runs and 600 wickets across all formats, joining the exclusive company of Vinoo Mankad, Madan Lal, and Parvez Rasool.
In the Ranji Trophy alone, his record is unparalleled among active all-rounders and stands in a league with Indian greats like Vijay Hazare, Madan Lal, and Sunil Joshi.
Anustup Leads Bengal Recovery
Veteran skipper Anustup Majumdar led from the front with a gritty century, steering Bengal out of early trouble before Karnataka staged a late comeback to leave Bengal at a uncomfortable 249/5 on the opening day of their Group C Ranji Trophy match here on Wednesday.
Karnataka's new-ball bowler Vasuki Koushik struck early, removing Bengal opener Shuvam Dey for a three-ball duck, and then dismissed Sudip Gharami after a painstaking 45-ball-5, reducing Bengal to 21 for 2 after opting to bat first.
40--year-old captain Anustup then steadied the innings, coming in at No. 4 and forming a crucial partnership with No. 3 Sudip Chatterjee, who scored a composed 50 off 120 balls.
Reminiscent of his century in the 2019-20 semifinal against Karnataka, Anustup showcased exceptional control, hitting 16 fours on his way to a century off 157 balls -- his first of the season.
The pair added 100 runs for the third wicket before Koushik struck again, dismissing Chatterjee en route to his impressive figures of 3/29.
Anustup remained unruffled, anchoring the innings with authority while Shahbaz Ahmed provided solid support.
However, Anustup's fine innings came to an end just after his century, trapped lbw by Shreyas Gopal.
With PTI inputs
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Jalaj Saxena
India Cricket Team