Duleep Trophy: Presenting batters with most 50-plus scores
What's the story
India's impending domestic season will mark the return of Duleep Trophy in its traditional inter-zonal format. The iconic red-ball tournament will begin on August 28, with Bengaluru hosting the matches. Duleep Trophy, India's premier First-Class tournament, has seen quite a few batters shine forth. Over the years, four batters have racked up over 15 50-plus scores in the tournament. Here we list the same.
#1
Wasim Jaffer: 21 scores
One of the most prolific run-scorers, Wasim Jaffer tops this elite list. The 47-year-old racked up 2,545 runs from 30 games at an incredible average of 55.32. His tally includes 8 tons and 13 half-centuries. He remains the only player with over 20 50-plus scores in the tournament. Notably, Jaffer concluded his First-Class career with a staggering 19,410 runs at 50.67.
#2
Vikram Rathour: 17 scores
Vikram Rathour, who later became Indian men's cricket team's batting coach, was also a force to reckon with. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Duleep Trophy history. In 25 matches for North Zone, he scored 2,265 runs at an average of 51.47. Rathour hammered six tons and 11 half-centuries in the tournament, aggregating 17 50-plus scores.
#3
Mohammad Kaif and Ajay Sharma: 16 scores each
Mohammad Kaif and Ajay Sharma are the only other players with more than 15 50-plus scores in the Duleep Trophy. While Kaif hammered 6 tons and 10 half-centuries, Ajay finished with 7 hundreds and 9 half-centuries. Kaif, who later became India's mainstay middle-order batter in ODIs, averaged an incredible 67.66 in the tournament. Meanwhile, Ajay slammed 1,961 runs at 57.67.