They call him the Ranji Trophy GOAT for good reason. Wasim Jaffer, Mumbai’s February 16, 1978 gift to cricket, exploded onto the scene with a triple ton in his second first-class match during 1996-97.
International stage was tantalizingly brief: 31 Tests (2000-2008) produced 1,944 runs, five centuries, best 212. Two ODIs? Modest. But home turf was conquest.
Aggregate awe: 260 FC matches, 19,410 runs, 57 tons, 91 fifties, unbeaten 314. Ranji supremacy – 12,038 runs, 40×100, 150 appearances, all records. Trailblazer for run milestones.
Led Mumbai to Ranji glory twice (38th, 39th titles). Vidarbha chapter, then 2020 farewell.
Now coaching heavyweight: Uttarakhand/Odisha/Punjab head; Bangladesh U19 batting; Punjab Kings IPL. X (Twitter) wars with Michael Vaughan? Fan gold.
Jaffer’s arc – from debut demolition to domestic deity – inspires every aspiring opener.