Ranji Trophy: Jalaj Saxena scripts history, becomes first cricketer to achieve massive feat

Indian domestic cricket veteran Jalaj Saxena made history during the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 clash between Kerala and Uttar Pradesh (UP) at the St. Xavier's College Ground in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, November 6.

The seasoned all-rounder showcased his exceptional skills with the ball after Kerala captain Sachin won the toss and elected to bowl first. Saxena dominated the UP batting lineup, claiming his 29th five-wicket haul in the tournament. The 37-year-old finished with impressive figures of 5-56 as the visitors were dismissed for a mere total of 162. Saxena's victims included Aryan Juyal, Madhav Kaushik, Nitish Rana, Siddarth Yadav, and Piyush Chawla.

Saxena's dismissal of Rana marked a significant milestone as he reached 400 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, becoming the 13th bowler to achieve this feat. Just last week, he surpassed 6,000 runs in the competition during Kerala's match against Karnataka in Alur. With this remarkable achievement, Saxena has become the first player in the 90-year history of the Ranji Trophy to achieve the double of 400 wickets and 6,000 runs. Additionally, last year, Saxena became only the fourth Indian player to record 9,000 runs and 400 wickets across formats in domestic cricket, following in the footsteps of Vinoo Mankad, Madan Lal, and Parveez Rasool.

Saxena is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in the history of Indian domestic cricket who has never had the opportunity to represent the national team. He began his first-class career during the 2005-06 season of the Ranji Trophy, showcasing his skills while playing for his home state of Madhya Pradesh until 2016, when he made the move to Kerala.

Throughout his career, Saxena has had the privilege of being a part of prestigious teams such as the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2013 and 2014, as well as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2015. Despite these opportunities, he was unable to make his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until he featured in three Champions League T20 matches for MI in 2014.

In 2019, Saxena was acquired by the Delhi Capitals (DC) during the auction, but unfortunately, he spent most of his time on the bench before being released prior to the 2020 season. It wasn't until 2021 when he was signed by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) that he finally made his IPL debut.

Saxena's first IPL appearance came in a match against the Delhi Capitals, where he did not have the chance to bat. Despite bowling three overs and conceding 27 runs without taking a wicket, this match remains his only IPL appearance to date.

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