Kerala all-rounder Jalaj Saxena became the first player in Ranji Trophy history to score 6000 runs and take 400 wickets during an Elite Group C fourth-round encounter against Uttar Pradesh at St Xavier’s College Ground.
Saxena, who had scored 6000 runs in Kerala’s previous match in Kolkata, achieved the milestone after dismissing left-hander Nitish Rana with a brilliant off-spin delivery that left Rana stumped.
The 37-year-old is the 13th bowler in Ranji Trophy history to reach 400 wickets. His 400th wicket also represented his 29th five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy.
Saxena began his First-Class career in 2005 with Madhya Pradesh, where he took 159 wickets and scored 4041 runs over 11 years.
He moved to Kerala during the 2016-17 season and has since become the team’s second-highest wicket-taker in First-Class cricket, trailing only KN Ananthapadmanabhan.
Last season, Saxena became only the fourth player in Indian domestic cricket history to score 9000 runs and 600 wickets in all formats, after Vinoo Mankad, Madan Lal, and Parvez Rasool.
In the Ranji Trophy alone, his record is unrivaled among active all-rounders, placing him alongside Indian legends like as Vijay Hazare, Madan Lal, and Sunil Joshi.