5 star Indian batters who have fewer first-class runs than women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar ft. Rohit Sharma

It was a sight to behold when Team India finally broke years of heartbreak to clinch their maiden Women's World Cup title in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2. Head coach Amol Muzumdar was overjoyed with emotion, along with the Indian players, as the nation celebrated wildly the incredible triumph.

Muzumdar has slowly but surely transformed the Indian women's side into a more consistent force to be reckoned with during his two-year tenure as head coach. Yet, much before his coaching career, the now-50-year-old made consistency his calling card as a red-ball batter.

Muzumdar enjoyed a spectacular two-decade career at the domestic level without having the fortune of breaking into the national side. However, the former right-hander finished with an impressive 11,167 first-class runs, including 30 centuries, in 171 outings.

Surprisingly, his final runs tally in first-class cricket, despite never playing a Test match, is higher than several star Indian batters.

As the classy Amol Muzumdar celebrates his World Cup title as head coach, let us pay tribute to the former Mumbai batter by looking at five Indian stars with fewer first-class runs.

Five Indian stars with fewer first-class runs than Amol Muzumdar

#1 Rohit Sharma

Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma recently retired from Test cricket, having played 67 red-ball games for India in his illustrious career. The 38-year-old played a total of 129 first-class games, with almost half of those coming for Mumbai in domestic cricket.

Rohit played his maiden first-class game for India A against New Zealand A in Darwin in 2006. With a half-century in his first-class debut, the right-hander was on his way in red-ball cricket.

Yet, he could not reach Muzumdar's first-class runs tally in his career, finishing with 9,318 runs and 29 centuries. Almost half of Rohit's first-class runs came in Test cricket, where he finished with 4,301 runs in 67 matches, including 12 tons.

#2 MS Dhoni

Another former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, enjoyed an extensive first-class career of over a decade. After playing his maiden first-class game in the 1999/00 season, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter retired from red-ball cricket at the end of 2014.

Dhoni played 90 Tests for India and a total of 131 first-class games in his stellar career. Under Dhoni, Team India scaled incredible heights in Tests, including becoming the No. 1-ranked side in the late 2000s.

Yet, the champion cricketer finished with only 7,038 first-class runs, more than 4000 fewer than Muzumdar.

#3 Yuvraj Singh

The hero of India's last home World Cup win before the women achieved glory, Yuvraj Singh, was renowned for his inimitable skills in white-ball cricket. Yet, the former left-hander enjoyed a red-ball career that spanned over two decades.

Yuvraj debuted in first-class cricket in 1996/97 and played his final red-ball outing in 2019. The former Punjab batter played 139 first-class games, including 40 Tests for India.

Yuvraj struggled for consistency in Test cricket, averaging under 34, with three centuries in 62 innings. However, his overall first-class numbers read an impressive 8,965 runs at an average of over 44 with 26 centuries.

Despite the stellar record, Yuvraj finished with more than 2,000 runs fewer than Muzumdar in first-class cricket.

#4 Suresh Raina

Indian fans often remember former left-hander Suresh Raina for his delightful strokeplay and breathtaking fielding in the white-ball formats. Yet, it should be lost on anyone that the now-38-year-old played 109 first-class games, including 18 Tests for India.

Raina debuted at the first-class level in 2002/03 and was a prolific run-scorer for Uttar Pradesh in his career. While his Test career never completely took off, with an average of 26.48, his overall first-class career average is an impressive 42.15.

Raina also finished with 6,871 first-class runs, including 14 centuries. Yet, his final runs tally is more than 4,000 less than Muzumdar's in their respective first-class careers.

#5 Murali Vijay

Former opener Murali Vijay was a cornerstone of India's batting for most of the 2010s, especially in SENA countries. The elegant right-hander played 61 Tests for India and 135 first-class matches.

Renowned for his excellent mix of elegant strokeplay and defiant technique, Vijay enjoyed an impressive 13-year first-class career. He finished with 9,205 runs, including 25 centuries, in his overall red-ball career.

Despite the stellar record, Vijay remains almost 2,000 runs behind Amol Muzumdar in first-class run-scoring.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran