Copyright timesnownews
Prithvi Shaw sent a timely reminder of his class as he aims to earn a comeback to the Indian team, as he scored his first century for Maharashtra during their second match of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season against Chandigarh at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh. After scoring just eight runs in the first innings, Shaw put up a performance to remember in the second innings. The 25-year-old made a knock of 222 runs in just 156 balls, which included 29 boundaries and five sixes with an incredible strike-rate of 142.31. The former Mumbai batter reached his ton in just 73 balls while taking only 141 deliveries to complete the 200-run mark. Prithvi Shaw Creates History Shaw set a 21st-century record for the fastest double ton in the Ranji Trophy's history in the elite competition. The previous best since the turn of the millennium also belonged to Shaw, who reached the double ton in 174 balls against Baroda in 2019/20 at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. Infact, in the 91-year-old history of India's premier first-class competition, there has been only one innings quicker than Shaw in the elite division of Ranji Trophy, which came in 1984 by Ravi Shastri for Bombay against Baroda at the Wankhede Stadium, which knock is remembered for the star cricketer becoming the first Indian to hit six sixes in an over. Shaw now has two of the four quickest double tons in the first division of India's premier first-class competition. Fastest Double Centuries In Ranji Trophy Elite Group Matches PlayerBalls TakenTeamOpponentSeasonVenueRavi Shastri123BombayBaroda1984/85Mumbai (Wankhede)Prithvi Shaw141MahrashtraChandigarh2025-26ChandigarhRajesh Bora156Assam Bihar1991-92RanchiPritvhi Shaw174MumbaiBardoa2019-20VadodaraShastri and Shaw are the only players in Ranji Trophy's rich history to score a double century in the elite group in less than 150 balls. The latter is the first player to achieve the feat in the 21st century. If players from the plate division are also considered, only Tanmay Agarwal scored a double ton quicker than Shaw and Shasti. The Hyderabad batter scored the third-quickest double ton in first-class history across the world in 2023-24 at Secundarabad against Arunachal Pradesh. Prithvi Shaw Emulates Virender Sehwag Shaw is the second Indian, after Virender Sehwag to hit a double hundred in first-class cricket in fewer than 200 balls twice. Infact, Sehwag has incredibly achieved the feat three times in his career, which is the joint-most in history across the globe alongside Graeme Hick. Overall, Sehwag and Shaw are among a rare list of eight players in the world with multiple double tons in fewer than 200 balls. Overall, there have been 20 other Indian players who have reached a double ton in less than run-a-ball, with some notable names to do it being Shastri, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Sarfaraz Khan, and Shreyas Iyer. Although quite remarkably, Sehwag has achieved the feat all three times in Test cricket, something no other Indian has managed even once. Infact, apart from the Indian cricket legend, only three players from across the globe (Nathan Astle, Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum) have managed this feat in the longest format at the international level.
