Records & Stats
Top Five run-getters in the history of Indian first-class cricket
Domestic Cricket always sets the foundation for any player.
Domestic Cricket always sets the foundation for any player. Their performances in various competitions across the country determine if they get to represent the country or not. India’s domestic circuit is also well-established, having produced many greats for the country over the years. In this article, we will have a look at the Indian players with the most runs in all of first-class cricket.
#5 Parthiv Patel- 9500 runs
Parthiv Patel (Source: Twitter)
The wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel represented and also captained Gujarat in the domestic circuit. Patel captained Gujarat in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy. The team reached the final for the second time after defeating Odisha and Jharkhand in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. They faced defending champions Mumbai in the final in January in Indore.
Patel scored 90 runs in the first inning and 143 runs in the second to help Gujarat win its first Trophy. His 143 was the highest in a successful Ranji Trophy final chase. Gujarat became the first team, and Patel the first captain, to win all three major domestic titles with this victory.
#4 Gautam Gambhir- 9655 runs
Gautam Gambhir (Source: Twitter)
One of the most prolific players in the history of Indian cricket, Gautam Gambhir, was a part of two World Cup wins in 2007 and 2011. The Delhi-born also had a great career with his domestic team. He, to date, remains the fourth-highest run-scorer in first-class cricket.
Gambhir’s first-class cricket career began in the 1999-2000 season. But it wasn’t until a few years later, in 2002, that the Delhi lad first came to prominence. The left-hander then scored 218 runs in a double century for the Board President’s XI against a visiting Zimbabwe team. A year later, the big moment arrived: Gambhir was named to the Indian team for the TVS Cup, a triangular series.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar- 9677 runs
Sachin Tendulkar (Source: Twitter)
Also known as the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar represented Mumbai in the domestic circuit. He narrowly missed playing alongside his idol, Sunil Gavaskar, who had retired from all forms of cricket following the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
Tendulkar made his debut for Bombay against Gujarat at Wankhede stadium a year later, on 11 December 1988, at the age of 15 years and 232 days, and scored 100 not out, making him the youngest Indian to score a century on debut in first-class cricket.
#2 Cheteshwar Pujara- 11890 runs
Cheteshwar Pujara (Source: Twitter)
Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s red-ball specialist, also plays for his home state of Saurashtra. He scored 10 and 203 not out from 221 balls against Madhya Pradesh to secure a 203-run victory and qualify Saurashtra for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals in 2012-13.
He then guided his team through to the semi-final with his knock of 352 runs. While he could not continue to play for the team as he was called up to the Indian ODI side, he certainly established himself as one of the greats in the domestic circuit.
#1 Wasim Jaffer- 14609 runs
Wasim Jaffer (Source: Twitter)
Wasim Jaffer is commonly referred to as the King of the Ranji Trophy. He is currently the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy cricket. In November 2018, he became the first batsman in the competition to score 11,000 runs.
Jaffer moved to Vidarbha for the 2015/16 Ranji season in June 2015. Vidarbha won the Ranji Trophy on January 1, 2018, and Jaffer hit the winning boundary in the final against Delhi. In the first round of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, Jaffer became the first cricketer to play in 150 Ranji Trophy matches.
