First Class cricket is the base of any country's cricketing system. The sport of cricket is not just the flamboyant international matches. Nor are they the domestic T20 leagues that get cheered from all parts of the country.
Cricket has always been about something that digs deep into the country. Cricket has first been about the domestic circuit, and only then, it is about the international scene. Most players get through the rigour of performing at the domestic level before popping up at in the Indian Blue.
Cheteshwar Pujara, India's Test veteran is no big feat. Pujara had to go through the first-class cricket of Indian domestic system, before earning his maiden Test call-up for Team India. Pujara made his Saurashtra Debut in the Ranji Trophy in December 2005. However, his Test debut for India came five years later, in October 2010.
Recently, Pujara became only the fourth player to score 20000 runs in First Class Cricket. (Red-ball format at the domestic and international level). In the Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha, Pujara scored 43 runs in the first innings, backed by a well-made 66 in Saurashtra's second round. With this display, the Rajkot-born batter has joined company of some Indian cricket legends.
Which Indians have scored the most runs in First-Class Cricket?
Sunil Gavaskar has registered the most runs for India in the red-ball format. The Little Master played in a time when the red-ball format was the most prominent. The Mumbai-born veteran has scored over 25000 runs in 348 First Class matches.
Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT), has scored the second-highest runs for India in first-class cricket. The 50-year-old also has over 25000 runs, in 38 fewer games than Sunil Gavaskar.
Rahul Dravid, one of India's most prominent red-ball performers, is the third-highest run-getter in First Class cricket. Dravid has 23794 runs in under 300 matches for India and Karnataka.
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List of Indians with 20000+ runs in First Class cricket
| Name | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Gavaskar | 348 | 25,834 | 51.46 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 310 | 25,396 | 57.84 |
| Rahul Dravid | 298 | 23,794 | 55.33 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 260 | 20,013 | 51.96 |
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