Ranji Trophy 2019-20, Round 4 – Karnataka’s 200th win, Riyan Parag's record knock, Rahane's streak of single digits and more stats

Most of the 4th round matches in the 2019/20 season of Ranji Trophy witnessed thrilling matches and outright results. Young Riyan Parag scored his maiden hundred at the senior level for Assam while young sensation Abdul Samad smashed a 63-ball hundred with his six-hitting spree. Mumbai lost yet another game in this season with the opposition being Karnataka this time. Hyderabad put a break to their losing streak by defeating Kerala after they lost each of their first three matches in the season.

All the statistical highlights from the 4th round matches of the Ranji Trophy 2019/20:

7.34 – Average runs scored per wicket during the game between Meghalaya and Pondicherry were 35 wickets fell for the cost of 257 runs. This is the 2nd lowest average per wicket in a completed Ranji Trophy game as the 1958/59 season game between Bihar and Orrisa in Patna had an average of 5.88 only.

The 7.34 average runs in this 4th round Ranji game is also the lowest in any first-class match in more than 40 years. (Min: 20 wickets fell) It is the lowest since the 1977/78 season Howa Bowl game between Transvaal and Western Province where only 7.33 runs were scored per wicket at an average.

11 – Abdul Samad hit 11 sixes during his 128-run knock against Jharkhand. He is the first player to hit 10+ sixes in a first-class innings while playing for Jammu and Kashmir. All the 11 sixes Samad hit were against spin bowlers only.

The 18-year-old struck back to back hundreds as he scored an unbeaten 103 against Assam in the last round. He is now the first player to score multiple FC hundreds before turning 19 for J&K.

18y 54d – At the age of 18 years and 54 days, Riyan Parag became the youngest player to score a first-class century for Assam. He broke the record held by Rajesh Borah who was only two days older than Riyan when he scored 107 against Bengal in 1985/86.

Riyan scored 123 in this game and had the fifties against Services (66) and Jharkhand (55) earlier this season. No other batsman has even scored a fifty for Assam in this Ranji season.

30 – Runs aggregated by Ajinkya Rahane across his last five innings in this Ranji Trophy after starting the season with a 79-run knock. His scores since the first innings fifty against Baroda read – 9, 5, 8, 7 and 1. This is the first time Rahane has been dismissed for single digits in five consecutive innings in his first-class career.

44 – Maharashtra were bundled out for just 44 in the game against Services; their 2nd lowest total ever in the Ranji Trophy. Their lowest of 39 came against Nawanagar way back in 1941/42 season.

200 – The 5-wicket win against Mumbai was Karnataka’s 200th win in the history of Ranji Trophy. Interestingly, Mumbai is the only other team with 200 Ranji wins as they won a total of 245 matches till date.

257 – The game between Meghalaya and Pondicherry aggregated only 257 runs; the 6th fewest in a completed Ranji Trophy match. The 257 runs during the game played in Mangaldai are the fewest in a completed Ranji game since the start of 1982.

420 – Vinay Kumar now has 420 wickets in the Ranji Trophy following his 8 wickets including a 5-fer against Meghalaya. He is now the 6th highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy surpassing Vaman Kumar’s 418 wickets.