Sudip Gharami’s historic 299 in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal signals the arrival of India’s next dependable number three in Test cricket?
What must it feel like to stand tall throughout, facing 596 balls, only to watch helplessly as the stumps shatter one run shy of a triple century? For Bengal’s Sudip Kumar Gharami, that gut-wrenching agony unfolded at the Kalyani Cricket Association ground, during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Andhra Pradesh.
Bowled for 299 on February 8, the 26-year-old etched his name into cricketing lore as the first Indian in First-Class history to fall one run short of 300, a miss so cruel it felt scripted by the gods of the game.
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A masterclass in grit and grace
Picture this: Gharami walks in at No. 3 on Day 2 with Bengal wobbling at 27-2, Andhra’s seamers sniffing blood under a leaden sky. He resumes on Day 3 at 216* overnight, eyes steely, bat a wand.
In 596 balls, which sums to 99.2 overs and more than 10 hours of unrelenting focus, he carved out 299 (31 fours, 6 sixes), his maiden double ton. Bengal racked up 629 all out, a 334-run lead after Andhra’s 295, with Gharami the architect of their semi-final dream against Jammu & Kashmir.
He toyed with Andhra’s attack like a chess grandmaster. He added 165 runs with Sumanta Gupta (81) before further stitching a 221-run partnership with Shakir Habib Gandhi (95). Gharami’s stay ended after he was clean bowled by Sheikh Rashid.
The batter has been in top form for Bengal in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, scoring a total of 651 runs in 12 innings at an average of 54.25. His tally includes two centuries and three fifties.
On a crumbling pitch offering turn and variable bounce, he rotated the strike masterfully, punishing anything loose until fatigue crept in. A tired prod at a straighter delivery from a seamer sent the bails flying – one run short. Heartbreak.
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Humble beginnings, stellar stats
From the dusty maidans of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, where a young Sudip, born on March 21, 1999, first gripped a bat amid honking autos and street cricket chaos, to Bengal’s dressing room beacon. Son of a modest family, he rose through age-group ranks, idolising Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Debut in 2019-20 List A, First-Class bow in 2020, now 38 FC games, 2,365 runs at 36+ average, including 11 fifties and seven tons.
No. 3 void: Gharami’s golden ticket?
India’s Test top order? A merry-go-round since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli faded into legend. Shubman Gill, the captain, owns No. 4, but what about No 3? It has certainly been musical chairs till now. Devdutt Padikkal dazzled briefly, yet wilted abroad. Sai Sudharsan, Tamil Nadu’s batter, got promising starts, no anchors. Karun Nair, triple-ton hero from 2016, revived in domestics, but two Tests yielded zilch amid axe.
Enter Gharami, 26 and peaking. His 299 screams. On turners or greentops, he has the ability to thrive and can be vital for India’s WTC rebuild. Gharami’s temperament was also a thing to watch in his 299-run innings.
In a format craving middle-order moats, Sudip’s near-300 surely whispers that “I’m ready.”
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