Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Hyderabad's Rahul Singh Gahlaut Registers Second-Fastest Double Century in Indian First-Class History

The new season of the Ranji Trophy kicked off today in quite some style, as debutant Hyderabad batsman Rahul Singh Gahlaut became the first batsman to notch up a double century in the new 2023-24 season.

On the opening day of the esteemed domestic tournament, Rahul took to the Nagaland bowling attack, registering a swashbuckling 214 runs off 157 deliveries, peppered with nine sixes and 23 boundaries.

Hyderabad was forced to bat first but the side made the absolute most of it, as they put up an absolute mammoth total of 475 runs for 5 wickets within the first day itself, after which they decided to declare.

Hyderabad’s innings was anchored by the Hyderabad debutant Rahul Singh, who went on the offense, clearing the boundary at will.

After a solid innings from opener Tanmay Agarwal, who scored 80, came to an end, Rahul along with his skipper Tilak Varma, put up a dominating 118-run partnership to ensure that Hyderabad towered over the seeemingly-docile Nagaland bowling attack.

Rahul, who earlier played for Services, hammered the second fastest Indian First-Class double century off 143 balls, reaching the milestone with a six. Only the iconic Ravi Shastri’s 123-ball double century for Bombay against Baroda at the Wankhede stadium still holds the Indian record.

Finally, Nagaland’s Khrievitso Kense found the much-needed breakthrough and dismissed Rahul, whose fantastic innings came to an end at 214 runs.

With this knock, he also completed 3,000 runs in First-Class cricket. Overall, he owns 3,141 runs from 43 FC matches at an average of over 41. He has amassed nine centuries and 15 fifties in this format, and this 214-run knock is his career-best score.

Rahul’s calibre is one that has been established as the young batter was the highed run-getter for Services in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, scoring 505 runs in seven matches at an average of 38.84. In fact, Rahul became the first batter in Services’ history to cross the 450-run mark in a singular season.

After the dismissal of Rahul, skipper Tilak Varma took over the attacking mantle and with the aid of quick partnerships with the likes of Chandan Sahani, Pragnay Reddy and Telukupalli Ravi Teja, reached his century as well, and posted the total of 474 runs after, which the side decided to declare.