Prithvi Shaw registers second-highest individual score in Ranji Trophy history

[Photo: IANS]


Prithvi Shaw on Wednesday scored the Ranji Trophycs second-highest individual score with his maiden triple hundred against Assam in Mumbai’s Group B match here at Amingaon Cricket Ground.

Resuming from the overnight score of 240, Shaw smashed 379 off 383 deliveries in a marathon knock decorated with 49 fours and six maximums. Bhausaheb Nimbalkar’s unbeaten 443, which he scored in December 1948, continues to be the highest Ranji Trophy score and the highest first-class score by an Indian batter.

Moreover, Shaw became the ninth Indian batter to score 350 plus score in the Ranji inning after Swapnil Gugale (351*), Cheteshwar Pujara (352), VVS Laxman (353), Samit Gohel (359*), Vijay Merchant (359*), MV Sridhar (366) and Sanjay Manjrekar (377).

However, the opener missed out on reaching the 400-run mark as he fell lbw to the leg-spinner Riyan Parag in the last over before lunch.

Batting with skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Shaw scored 262 out of the 401-run partnership for the third wicket, taking his team’s innings score close to 500.

Shaw has been going through a lean patch in the 2022-23 season of the Ranji Trophy as he scored 13, 6, 19, 4, 68, 35, and 15 in the first four matches of the tournament.

Going by is refent form, the selectors had ignored Shaw when they announced the Indian men’s teams for the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka even though many big names like Shikhar Dhawan, K.L Rahul were missing from the ODI squad while Rohit Sharma, Kohli and K.L Rahul were kept out of the T20I squad. Rohit had suffered an injury during the Bangladesh tour.

The Mumbai batter had responded to the snub by the selectors by posting some poetry on his Instagram account, expressing his disappointment through Shayari. Now he has responded with the bat by scoring a big triple-hundred.