Ravi Shastri's double ton in Ranji (Source: @BCCIdomestic/x.com)
“Dhoni finishes off in style! A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lift the World Cup after 28 years!" The line is a familiar thing for the Indian fans as Ravi Shastri’s iconic voice immortalized Team India’s 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.
In every match, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri's vibrant voice added that extra spice to the unreal cricketing thrills. Whether the world hails his expertise, his role in the game of cricket was different.
The flamboyant commentator was one of the defensive batters of Indian cricket. Though known for his defensive grit, Ravi Shastri produced innings of remarkable character and determination. But on one unforgettable day, he broke free from his restraint, lighting up the Ranji Trophy stage with a stunning double century. Let’s revisit the iconic day.
Ravi Shastri reveals a side no one expected
In the 1980s, Team India produced some all-time gems who ruled the cricket world with their excellence. In the domestic circuit, Mumbai has been a talent pool for the state, delivering some of the best cricketing talents. As the Ranji Trophy has been the breeding ground of some outstanding cricketing talents, Ravi Shastri is one of them.
He showcased his excellence during his tenure as Team India’s head coach, but his spectacular batting performance can never be ignored. While fans often recall his steady, defensive style, there has always been a fiery spark within him, a spark that erupted spectacularly on the Ranji Trophy stage in 1985.
During that season, Bombay (now Mumbai) met Baroda in a group stage match, and the former Indian coach displayed a whole different version of himself in front of the world. Batting first, Bombay put on a total of 371 on Ghulam Parkar and Shishir Hattangadi’s excellence. But Baroda fought back, closing their first innings at 330. In the second innings, Ravi Shastri unleashed his new side that the world was completely unaware till then.
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Shastri’s explosive double ton redefines his batting persona
The cricket world is known for the unreal grit of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid, but Ravi Shastri was MR. Dependable ahead of that. Known for his calm, controlled style, he occasionally showed glimpses of aggression, yet his consistency was his greatest asset. But the 1985 Ranji Trophy revealed a completely new, fiery dimension to his batting, a side that continues to amaze fans even today.
As Baroda closed the score, Bombay needed a boost, and Ravi Shastri stepped in as a game-changer. After the side faced consecutive blows, Lalchand Rajput and Ravi Shastri tightened their grip. Despite being a red-ball contest, Ravi Shastri’s fearless strokeplay brought the T20 flair into it.
Coming to bat as the number six batter, he started hitting the balls from the very first delivery. Completing half-century and a century, the Baroda bowler remained unable to stop his violence on the 22 yards. Continuing his exceptional form, he hit six sixes in an over against Tilak Raj and entered the elite club.
The Baroda bowlers failed to stop Shastri’s excellence as he reached the remarkable 200 runs and remained unbeaten with the score in 123 runs with 13 boundaries and 13 over-boundaries. This was no ordinary innings; it was a historic display of brilliance that firmly stamped Shastri’s name in cricketing history.
Before Shastri, the record for the fastest double century in minutes belonged to Gilbert Jessop, who had raced to a double ton in two hours. But on that, Ravi Shastri shattered the record book as he smashed the double hundred in just 113 minutes.
As the match ended in a draw, Ravi Shastri’s mad display redefined his batting style. With that one knock, the domestic cricket got huge attention. Years have passed in the prestigious Ranji Trophy, yet Shastri’s knock continues to stand tall, a timeless testament to his brilliance.
