Highest first-class batting averages: Ranji Trophy top-scorer overtakes Vijay Hazare, Vinod Kambli on all-time Indian list

Yash Rathod scores ninth first-class century

In the third round of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy, Vidarbha and Tamil Nadu faced off at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground in Coimbatore, with the hosts electing to bat first on day one (November 1).

Tamil Nadu were 73-3 before Pradosh Ranjan Paul (113) and Baba Indrajith (96) put on 179 for the fourth wicket. Despite that, they only managed 291. Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute was the standout with 5-65.

Also read: Promoted to captain in third first-class match, ex-India U19 skipper scores maiden century on day one

Three of Vidarbha's top four – Aman Mokhade (80), Dhruv Shorey (82) and R Samarth (56) – made half-centuries, and at a healthy 223-3 early on day three, Yash Rathod walked out to the middle.

The left-hander made his way to a half-century off 61 balls, and was on 66 by lunch with captain Akshay Wadkar for company. Midway through the second session, he got to a ninth first-class century, continuing a stunning start to the 2025/26 domestic season.

Rathod overtakes Hazare, Kambli on all-time list

Rathod began the season with 324 runs in three games for Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. He made 91 & 5 against Rest of India in the Irani Cup one-off match, before scoring 71 and 101* against Nagaland and Jharkhand in the first two Ranji Trophy matches of the season.

Read more: Nephew of former India opener hits back-to-back career-best scores in first two games for new Ranji Trophy side

He was eventually dismissed for 133 in this match, taking his run tally for the current season to 775 in seven matches, at an average of 110.7.

His knock on Monday also took Rathod past a couple of huge names in Indian cricket. With 2,280 runs to his name at an average of exactly 60 now, he has the sixth-highest first-class average for any Indian batter with at least 2,000 runs; overtaking Vijay Hazare (58.38) and Vinod Kambli (59.67) today.

He is now one of only 12 players ever to score at least 2,000 first-class runs at an average of 60 or higher, and the only one to do so without scoring a double century. Rathod was the top run-scorer in last year's Ranji Trophy, with 960 runs in 10 matches.

Highest first-class averages, full list