Cheteshwar Pujara equals Azharuddin’s 28-year-old feat in County Championship | Cricket

Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara continued his stellar form in the ongoing 2022 County Championship as he scored his second double century in the tournament, en route to his knock of 203 for Sussex in the match against Durham at Hove. And with the knock, Pujara equalled Mohammad Azharuddin’s 28-year-old staggering feat in County cricket. 

This was Pujara’s second double century in the tournament having earlier scored an unbeaten 201 against Derbyshire last week at Derby in his first game this season. Overall, his scores in 2022 County tournament reads: 6 (15), 201* (387), 109 (206), 12 (22), 203 (334). 

With the second double ton, Pujara became the second Indian to score two such knocks in the County Championship after the former India skipper Azharuddin, who had scored 212 against Leicestershire in 1991 and 205 against Durham in 1994. Both of his knocks came for Derbyshire.

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This was also his 15th first-class double-century, which consolidates his place among Asian players in the unique list. Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara stands second on the list with his tally of 13 double tons. Meanwhile, eight batters, overall, have more first-class double-hundreds than the Indian, but none of them remain active.

En route to the knock, he also stitched a crucial 154-run stand alongside Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Rizwan, who was dismissed for 79. This partnership helped Sussex finish with 538 runs, against Durham’s first innings total of 223. 

These runs will keep Pujara in contention for a place in the Indian Test squad for the one match they have against England later this summer. The veteran batter was dropped from the Indian Test team following the series loss in South Africa earlier this year.