Prithvi Shaw delivered a scintillating performance that saw him carve his name into Ranji Trophy history with the second-fastest double century ever recorded in the competition.
The former India U-19 captain
and Mumbai opener, who now represents Maharashtra, achieved the milestone against Chandigarh in an Elite Group B match at the Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh, on Monday (October 27).
Opening the batting in the second innings, Shaw unleashed an aggressive assault from the outset. He reached his hundred in just 72 balls, placing him joint-sixth on the list of fastest centuries in Ranji Trophy history. His batting was defined by clean hitting, dominant stroke play, and powerful drives that left the opposition bowlers with no answers.
Once past his century, Shaw upped the ante, taking just 141 deliveries to score his double hundred, cementing the knock as the second-fastest ever in Ranji history (behind only Ravi Shastri's 123-ball 200 for Mumbai in 1985). His innings was studded with 28 fours and three sixes, as he drove Maharashtra's tally upward, eventually finishing with 222 runs from only 156 balls at a rampant strike rate. This effort helped Maharashtra post a dominant total of 359 in the second innings.
Prithvi Shaw joins Virender Sehwag
Apart from that, Shaw has also joined Virender Sehwag, thus becoming only the second Indian player to score multiple double centuries in less than 200 balls. Sehwag, in his career, scored 3 double hundreds with a better run a ball record.
The knock was especially significant for Shaw, marking his maiden Ranji Trophy hundred for Maharashtra after a switch from Mumbai. The Indian batter has been in trouble with disciplinary and fitness issues, which prompted his move away from his home team. Although he is still a long way away from a return to the India team, Shaw's main focus remains on capitalizing on this positive momentum.
