India is a nation with a fabulous batting pedigree. In every generation, there has been at least one Indian batsman who stays at the top of the pile. With so many quality batsmen that have been produced, it is interesting to analyze the Indian players with the most centuries in their entire first-class careers.
To put it into perspective, multiple personalities have scored more than a century of centuries in first-class cricket. In fact, the record-holder at the moment, JB Hobbs, has 199 first-class centuries to his name. In this article, we take a look at the Indian players with the most centuries in first-class cricket.
5. Wasim Jaffer- 57 Centuries In 260 Matches
At No.5 on the list, we have domestic stalwart Wasim Jaffer. He was one of the most prolific run-getters in domestic cricket and also had a decent international career. At the Ranji level, Wasim got most of his centuries representing Mumbai and Vidharbha.
The Mumbai-born opening batsman also a terrific record of scoring runs on Indian soil. He has more than 50 centuries while playing in India. Another commendable aspect of his career was that despite playing until his forties, he hardly faced a barren run of form.
4. Vijay Hazare- 60 Centuries In 238 Matches
Vijay Hazare is also a part of this list of Indian players with the most centuries in first-class cricket. He often gets forgotten, but if you take a look at the stats, he is still the owner of many records.
For instance, no player so far has got to their 50 first-class century mark faster than Vijay Hazare. The player took just 159 innings to accomplish the stat. Hazare is also the first cricket to score 50 centuries in FC cricket on Indian soil
3. Rahul Dravid- 68 Centuries In 298 Matches
India‘s most famous No.3 batsman is at No.3 on this list too. Also known as ‘The Wall’, Rahul scored 68 first-class centuries in his career. Although his career started on a rocky note, once it settled, it was no looking back for the player until his retirement.
Rahul was known mostly for his stability in the batting department when it came to overseas pitches. It is no surprise that he has got more centuries on foreign soil than in his home nation. This was one of the specialities of his magnificent career.
2. Sunil Gavaskar- 81 Centuries In 348 Matches
With 81 FC centuries to his name, Sunil Gavaskar stands at No.2 on this list. Before Sachin Tendulkar, it was Gavaskar who had held various records in the batting department.
In fact, it was the Mumbai cricketer who redefined the art of Test match batting. Usually taking up the opening slot, Sunil Gavaskar compiled a total of 34 hundred in international cricket.
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 81 Centuries In 310 Matches
It is not a surprise to see Sachin Tendulkar’s name at the top of the list. The Master Blaster is the holder of multiple batting records, and when it comes to Indian records, he almost exerts a monopoly. Although he has got the same number of centuries as Sunil Gavaskar, we have placed him at No.1 because he has taken fewer innings to achieve this feat. While Gavaskar got to the mark in 348 matches, Sachin took 310 games.
Out of this record, Sachin has got 51 centuries in International Cricket. This is still the best record at the moment. The Mumbaikar was also the second-fastest to get to 50 first-class centuries in India. He took just 176 matches to do that.
