Ranji Trophy: Jalaj Saxena becomes first player with 6000 runs and 400 wickets

Thumba (Kerala): 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 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. –IANS