With stunning five-wicket haul against Bihar, Jalaj Saxena sets up new Ranji Trophy record
Jalaj Saxena has etched his name in the record books of the Ranji Trophy by achieving a remarkable milestone of taking five-wicket hauls against 19 different teams. This achievement came during a match against Bihar, where he claimed five wickets for just 19 runs in seven overs, helping Kerala restrict their opponents to 241 runs. This was Saxena’s first five-wicket haul against Bihar, making them the 19th team he has accomplished this feat against, surpassing the previous record held by Pankaj Singh, who had five-wicket hauls against 18 teams.
With this performance, Saxena recorded his 31st five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy, the most among current players. He now boasts a total of 416 wickets in the tournament, placing him among the top ten highest wicket-takers in its history. Earlier in the season, he also reached the significant milestone of scoring 6,000 runs in First-Class cricket, making him the only Indian all-rounder without international caps to achieve this feat.
Saxena began his First-Class career with Madhya Pradesh in 2005 and later joined Kerala in the 2016-17 season. His consistent performances have made him a vital player for Kerala and a respected figure in Indian domestic cricket.