Ranji Trophy is a challenging tournament for the growth of a cricketer. It strengthens the mindset. The three-month long domestic cricket event tests a player across conditions and pitches. The 2019-20 final, where Saurashtra beat Bengal, was the last cricket match before the world succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sportstar takes a look at the batsmen who have ruled the roost over the years.
Wasim Jaffer
He is poetry in motion. After a career spanning 23+ years, 1996-97 to 2019-20, Jaffer retired with 12,038 runs in the tournament; ahead of Amol Muzumdar by a mile. He is the only batsman to score 10,000 runs in Ranji Trophy. His record of 40 centuries, for Mumbai and Vidarbha, is the highest of all time.
He was part of the Vidarbha side that won the title for two consecutive year, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Mumbaikar has represented India in 31 Tests between 2000 and 2008, scoring 1944 runs including five hundreds and 11 fifties. He announced retirement after the last season.
Amol Muzumdar
He is an unsung hero. Despite the talent and performance in Ranji Trophy, he never made it to the Indian team. Muzumdar retired with 9,202 runs with Mumbai, Assam and Andhra. The classy right-hander belongs to the Ramakant Achrekar brand of cricket. He was in the same school with Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.
Muzumdar’s first-class average neared 50 when he hung up his boots. However, he too smashed 30 centuries and 60 fifties in first-class cricket. He retired after the 2012-13 season and is currently a fine commentator. He is also the batting coach of IPL side Rajasthan Royals.
Devendra Bundela
The Madhya Pradesh legend ended his domestic career with 9,201 runs in Ranji Trophy. Having bloomed in the time of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman, Bundela could not break into the Indian side but continued chasing glories for his state.
ALSO READ | Data: Highs and lows of Ranji Trophy 2019-20
The right-hander retired from first-class cricket with 10,004 runs at an average of 43.68. He scored three fifties in his last season, 2017-18, including a 99 against Baroda. Bundela’s only regret of his career is that he couldn’t clinch the coveted Ranji title.
Yashpal Singh
Delhi-bred Yashpal Singh turned the tide in his 2.0 version for Manipur and Sikkim in the Ranji Trophy. The 38-year-old, who earlier represented Tripura, moved to the north-east state from the 2018-19 season when nine new teams made their debut. Yashpal has scored 8,700 runs. He finished with 692 runs in the 2019-20 season at an average of 46.13 with two centuries and two fifties.
Comments
SHARE