Veteran Wasim Jaffer joins elite club with double ton in Irani Cup
Wasim Jaffer overtook the first-class tallies of batting legends such as Dilip Vengsarkar (17868) and GR Viswanath (17970) on the second day of the Irani Cup match between Vidarbha and the Rest of India
When former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer got past the 160 run mark in the first innings of the Irani Cup match between Vidarbha and the Rest of India in Nagpur on Thursday, he overtook the first-class tallies of batting legends such as Dilip Vengsarkar (17868) and GR Viswanath (17970).
Jaffer later went on to score a double hundred. He is now sixth on the list for India’s all time leading first-class scorers. He is also the fifth Indian first-class cricketer to score a double ton after the age of 40. When he scored 250, he became the first Asian cricket to score 250-plus sore after the age of 40.
With Vidarbha’s captain Faiz Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy falling on Day 1 after getting the Ranji Trophy winners to fine start, Jaffer rallied to solidify his team’s claim to the title.
READ | Wasim Jaffer scores century in Irani Cup, surpasses GR Viswanath for record
And in doing so, Jaffer managed to get Vidarbha past 400 run mark just before lunch on Day 2; but more significantly he completed 18,000 runs in first-class cricket, a feat that was applauded by all present at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Jaffer, who turned 40 last month, has always maintained his mettle in the domestic cricketing realms in India since his first-class debut in 1996/97.
The most recent of his successes came earlier this year, when under the guidance of Mumbai’s coach Chadrakant Pandit, Jaffer lifted the ninth Ranji Trophy title of his career with Vidarbha – a team no one had expected anything from, let alone making their maiden final.
With nearly 10,000 runs under his belt with the Mumbai, Jaffer had also captained the team to their 38th and 39th Ranji Trophy titles.
READ | Irani Cup: Vidarbha’s Wasim Jaffer hits 53rd first-class ton as Rest of India toil
And now the Ranji Trophy’s highest run-getter has got passed another major milestone in his career, one that can only reflect on his ageless class and spirit.
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