Cheteshwar Pujara Hits 17th Double-Century of First-class Career, Moves 4th in All-time List

India batting star Cheteshwar Pujara began his Ranji Trophy season in some style with a double-ton for Saurashtra against Jharkhand on Sunday. Pujara led an excellent reply from the current Ranji holders with an unbeaten 243 off 356, an inning featuring 30 fours.

Saurashtra eventually declared their first innings at 578/4 with Prerak Mankad hitting an unbeaten hundred. The hosts have a massive lead of 436.

Pujara is fourth on the all-time list of most century makers by an Indian batter after Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

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With his 17th first-class double-century though, the India veteran has moved to the fourth spot in the list of most double-tons in FC history.

Prior to the start of the Ranji Trophy contest at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pujara was fifth on the list alongside CB Fry, Jack Hobbs, and Graeme Hick. However, with his latest marathon innings, he has climbed up a spot and now shares it alongside Herbert Sutcliffe and Mark Ramprakash.

The legendary Don Bradman leads this list with 37 double-tons in his FC career followed by Wally Hammond (36), and Patsy Hendren (22).

Pujara has now eight double-centuries in Ranji Trophy which is the second-most in the competition’s history after Paras Dogra’s nine.

The 35-year-old converted three of his eight Ranji double-tons into triple centuries.

Three of his FC double-centuries have come for India in Test cricket – 206* vs England (2012, Ahmedabad), 204 vs Australia (2013, Hyderabad) and 202 (2017, Ranchi).

Pujara was dropped from India’s Test squad after the final of the ICC World Test Championship last year which the Rohit Sharma-led side lost to Australia.

He has so far played 103 Tests and scored 7195 runs at an average of 43.60 including 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries.

With Saurashtra set to play three Ranji matches before the five-match Test series between India and England gets underway later this month, Pujara will hope to leave an impression on the BCCI selectors and earn a recall.