Pujara crosses 19,000 runs in First-Class cricket, enters elite list
Pujara scored a brilliant half-century to reach the landmark and join legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Wasim Jaffer.
Published : May 05, 2023 20:44 IST , HYDERABAD - 2 MINS READ
Chetweshwar Pujara in action. (File Photo) | Photo Credit: AFP
Cheteshwar Pujara continues to break records and scripted history as he became just the sixth Indian to cross 19,000 runs in First-Class cricket.
The Indian Test specialist achieved the feat during his unbeaten century knock against Worcestershire.
Pujara scored a brilliant century to reach the landmark and join legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Wasim Jaffer.
Earlier, Pujara hit his second century in three matches for Sussex in a second-division County Championship match against Gloucestershire at the County Ground in Bristol.
Most First-Class Cricket runs by Indians
Sunil Gavaskar - 25834
Sachin Tendulkar - 25396
Rahul Dravid - 23794
VVS Laxman - 19730
Wasim Jafffer - 19410
Cheteshwar Pujara - 19043*
With this, Pujara (59) overtook the tally of Wasim Jaffer’s 57 FC tons to climb up to the fourth spot in Indians with the most FC hundreds.
Sachin Tendulkar leads the chart with a staggering 81 FC centuries under his belt.
Pujara will next be in action for India during the World Test Championship Final against Australia at the Oval in London, starting June 7.
Pujara is sharing the dressing room with Steve Smith ahead of the high-profile World Test Championship final starting June 7.
The WTC final between India and Australia will be held at the Oval from June 7-11. For the record, Pujara is leading Sussex in the red ball tournament and the skipper at No. 3 followed by Smith at No. 4 could be one of the most high-profile combination in Division two of English County Championship.
First-Class Cricket Batting Records
Pujara said that it will be mixed feelings, playing alongside Smith with whom he would be locked in a tough fight within three weeks of sharing the dressing room.
“We will be playing the WTC final, so it will be mixed feelings. On the field we always have good battles, but off the field we are good friends.”
The 35-year-old has been in scorching form since the County season in 2022, where he racked up a whopping 1094 runs in 13 innings at an average of 109.40, hitting five centuries after being dropped from the Indian Test squad.
He also played for the side in the Royal London One-Day Cup where he racked up 624 runs in nine innings with three centuries and two fifties.