Cheteshwar Pujara Slams 18th First Class Double Ton, Enters Top Five In An Elusive List

Pujara slammed 234 off 383 balls vs Chattisgarh (@mufaddal_vohra/X.com)

Cheteshwar Pujara cemented his legacy as one of India's finest First-Class cricketers by scoring his 18th double-century in First-Class cricket during Saurashtra's recent Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh. With this remarkable feat, Pujara moved to fourth place in the all-time list for most First-Class double centuries.

Despite being sidelined from the Indian team for the past 18 months, Cheteshwar Pujara simply refuses to give up on the format that gave him an identity. After getting dropped from the Test team, his red-ball journey moved to County Cricket in England before he eventually returned to India in time for the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season.

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Cheteshwar Pujara continues to pile up runs in Ranji Trophy

In a recent Ranji game between Saurashtra and Chhattisgarh, Cheteshwar Pujara scripted history with a resilient 234 off 383 balls knock. Pujara's brilliant knock came in response to Chhattisgarh's imposing first-innings total of 578/7d in Rajkot. 

He reached his double century in his typical gritty style, having earlier notched up his 66th First-Class century in just 197 balls. This is Puraja's 18th double ton in first-class cricket, which places him 4th in the all-time list featuring Don Bradman, Wally Hammond, and Patsy Hendren.

Most First-Class double centuries

• Don Bradman - 37
• Wally Hammond - 36
• Patsy Hendren - 22
• Cheteshwar Pujara - 18*
• Mark Ramprakash, Herbert Sutcliffe - 17

Not only that, Cheteshwar Pujara now holds the record for most double-hundreds scored in First-Class cricket by an Indian. In addition to this milestone, Pujara also crossed the 21,000-run mark in First-Class cricket, becoming only the fourth Indian to do so, joining the illustrious company of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid.

Pujara moves past Brian Lara with 66th FC hundred

During the Saurashtra-Chhattisgarh Ranji Trophy game, Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 66th First-Class century, surpassing West Indies legend Brian Lara, who had 65 First-Class tons to his name. 

Notably, Pujara's ongoing consistency brings him closer to the ranks of several other Indian cricket greats. He is just two centuries away from equaling Rahul Dravid's 68 First-Class hundreds. Only Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar sit ahead on the all-time list, tied with 81 centuries.

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