Shubham Khajuria made history by becoming the first Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) batter in 22 years to hit a double century in the Ranji Trophy. He achieved this remarkable feat during the ongoing 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, in a match against Maharashtra in Srinagar.
The last time a J&K player reached this milestone was in 2002, when Ashwani Gupta scored a double century against Bihar. In fact, Khajuria is only the third batter from J&K to accomplish this, joining the ranks of Gupta and Kavaljit Singh. Notably, Gupta hit double centuries twice—once in 2002 and earlier in 1995.
A Massive Total for Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir had a rocky start in their first innings after opener Abhinav Puri was dismissed for a duck. However, Khajuria steadied the innings with a dominant knock. By the time of tea, J&K had posted a commanding total of 449 runs for the loss of five wickets in 136 overs.
Khajuria’s unbeaten 255* off 352 deliveries was the highlight of the innings, as he led J&K’s charge with his impressive stroke play. Alongside Khajuria, contributions came from other batters, including Shivansh Sharma, who remained unbeaten on 72 from 252 balls. Other key scorers included Shubham Singh Pundir (37), Paras Dogra (30), Abdul Samad (23), and Sahil Lotra (18).
Maharashtra Struggles to Contain J&K
Maharashtra’s bowling attack struggled to contain J&K’s batters, with only a few breakthroughs. H.A. Walunj was the most successful bowler for Maharashtra, picking up two wickets before lunch.
Arshin Kulkarni, Rajneesh Gurbani, and M.G. Choudhary each claimed one wicket, but their efforts were overshadowed by Khajuria’s extraordinary knock. By the end of tea, J&K had firmly established control of the match, leaving Maharashtra searching for answers on how to restrict the home side from further extending their lead.
Khajuria’s performance has not only brought pride to Jammu & Kashmir cricket but has also etched his name in the history books of the Ranji Trophy.
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