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Rinku Singh's Record Run: How His 165* Eclipsed Dravid and Jaiswal

Rinku Singh delivered a batting masterclass with an unbeaten 165 in the Ranji Trophy opener. This spectacular innings boosted his first-class average to 57.39, placing him tenth all-time among Indian cricketers. He now sits above legendary names like Rahul Dravid and current Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the rankings. The knock proved crucial as Uttar Pradesh secured three points from the drawn encounter against Andhra Pradesh.

Key Points: Rinku Singh Surpasses Dravid Jaiswal in First-Class Average

  • Rinku Singh's first-class average now stands at 57.39, 10th highest among Indians
  • He surpassed Rahul Dravid, Saba Karim, and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the all-time averages list
  • His unbeaten 165 helped Uttar Pradesh secure three points from a drawn match
  • Rinku achieved this milestone just weeks before touring Australia for T20Is
2 min read

Rinku Singh eclipses Dravid, Jaiswal for special milestone with career-best unbeaten 165 in Ranji Trophy

Rinku Singh hits career-best 165* in Ranji Trophy, elevating his first-class average to 57.39—surpassing legends Rahul Dravid and Yashasvi Jaiswal in India's all-time rankings.

"Rinku roared to a sizzling 165* in first-class cricket for Uttar Pradesh against Andhra Pradesh – Match Report"

Kanpur, October 18

Rinku Singh went past former stalwarts Rahul Dravid, Saba Karim and current Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in India's all-time highest first-class averages, with a minimum of 50 innings after his recent exploits in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy.

Rinku roared to a sizzling 165* in first-class cricket for Uttar Pradesh against Andhra Pradesh, weeks before touring Australia for a five-match T20I series. With a batting masterclass, Rinku's first-class batting average has now soared to 54.68 to 57.39, the tenth highest all-time among Indian cricketers with a minimum of 50 innings.

After a valiant effort, Rinku eclipsed Dravid and Jadeja. In the overall tally, Vijay Merchant, who notched over 13,000 runs at an average of 71.64, sits at the summit. The legendary batter, followed by Shantanu Sugwekar and KC Ibrahim, are the only others in the list to average over 60.

In the opening round of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, Uttar Pradesh squared off against Andhra Pradesh at Kanpur's Green Park. Andhra skipper Ricky Bhui won the toss, opted to bat and the top-order made merry as KS Bharat (142) and Shaik Rasheed (136) put up a 194-run stand for the second wicket.

After batting for nearly two days, Andhra posted a daunting 470; a draw was the most plausible outcome. In reply, UP's Madhav Kaushik and Aryan Juyal forged a 119-run partnership for the second wicket but got dismissed in the same over. Rinku arrived at the crease at 146/3 and saw his side fall to 178/5.

UP slipped further behind in the game after Aaradhya Yadav's dismissal left them threadbare at 220/6. Rinku, unbeaten on 36 at that time, found support from the other end tail-enders Vipraj Nigam (42) and No.9 Shivam Sharma (36). The southpaw did the bulk of the scoring while Vipraj and Shivam held the other end.

On the fourth and final day of the fixture, Rinku hammered his eighth century in first-class cricket and took UP into a one-run lead, with his career-best 165*. With a rollicking effort, he helped UP to claim three points from the encounter.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is why Ranji Trophy is so important! While everyone focuses on IPL, it's these domestic performances that truly build a player's character. Rinku's ability to bat with tailenders and save the match shows real temperament.
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Arjun K
While Rinku's achievement is fantastic, let's not forget that averages can be misleading. Dravid played in much tougher bowling eras and against stronger opposition. Context matters in cricket statistics.
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Sarah B
As someone new to following Indian cricket, it's amazing to see such depth in domestic cricket. Rinku's journey from IPL finisher to first-class stalwart is really inspiring! 🏏
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Vikram M
UP cricket has been producing some real gems lately. Rinku's performance shows the importance of state teams nurturing local talent. Hope he gets more opportunities in the national team across formats!
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Kavya N
The way he batted with the tailenders shows his maturity. In Indian cricket, we often talk about individual brilliance, but this was a proper team effort led by Rinku. Well played! 🙌
M
Michael C
Perfect timing with the Australia tour coming up! Rinku is showing he's not just a T

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