Rinku Singh Makes History: Most First-Class Tons for UP, Joins All-Time Elite
Rinku Singh makes history as UP's leading first-class century hitter and enters the all-time top 10 batting averages.
Known predominantly as India's T20 finisher, Rinku Singh first-class record has reached legendary proportions. In a stunning display of resilience and skill, the batter has not only become the most successful century-maker for Uttar Pradesh in first-class cricket but has also propelled his batting average into the top 10 of all time globally.
The Crisis Manager Strikes Again
Rinku Singh continued his scorching form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, delivering a masterclass in crisis management. Coming to the crease with Uttar Pradesh reeling at a precarious 33/3, Rinku anchored the innings with a fiery, unbeaten 118 off 186 balls. His knock, which included 11 boundaries and two towering sixes, dragged his side to a total of 202.
This performance followed his brilliant 112 in the campaign opener against Bihar, marking his second consecutive century of the season. While Madhav Kaushik contributed 45, Rinku was the undisputed star of the show, especially as the opposition's Yash Kasvankar tore through the lineup with a five-wicket haul (5/86).
Breaking Records and Rewriting History
With this latest century, Rinku Singh has officially surpassed Tanmay Shrivastava—a winner of the 2008 U19 World Cup—to become the Uttar Pradesh batter with the most centuries in first-class cricket. Rinku now boasts 11 hundreds to his name.
His statistical ascent is nothing short of remarkable. Across 55 first-class games and 78 innings, Rinku has amassed 3,987 runs. His batting average, which stood at 59.52 before this match, has now climbed to 61.33. This puts him in the elite company of the ninth-highest batting average of all time for players with at least 50 innings.
Comparison with the Legends
To understand the magnitude of Rinku's achievement, one must look at the all-time leaderboard. While the legendary Donald Bradman remains far ahead with an average of 95.14, Rinku now sits among the greats. Other Indian names in the top 10 include:
- Vijay Merchant: 71.64 (234 innings)
- Ajay Sharma: 67.46 (166 innings)
- Shantanu Sugwekar: 63.1 (122 innings)
- Sarfaraz Khan: 62.92 (95 innings)
A Form That Defies Logic
While the world recognizes him for his ice-cool demeanor in T20 Internationals, Rinku's red-ball form has been breathtaking. In his last 10 first-class matches, he has been nearly unstoppable, scoring 850 runs in 11 innings at a staggering average of 94.44.
His recent run of scores highlights his dominance: 118*, 112, 60, 20, 176, 165*, 68, 89, 6, 26, and 10. With four centuries and three fifties in this span, including a career-best 176, Rinku Singh is proving that he is far more than just a limited-overs specialist; he is a powerhouse of Indian domestic cricket.