Shantanu Sugwekar finished with 6,653 first-class runs but never played for India
Shantanu Sugwekar’s domestic record of 6,653 runs at 63.10 never translated into an India cap during a crowded era.
Shantanu Sugwekar ended his first-class career with 6,653 runs in 85 matches at an average of 63.10. He scored 19 centuries and 26 half-centuries, including scores of 299, 225, 211 and an unbeaten 210.
The 299 came in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in 1988-89 when Sugwekar was 22. Maharashtra declared at 700 and won by an innings and 262 runs. He scored heavily against strong Bombay attacks and overlapped with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
Sugwekar represented Maharashtra, West Zone and Rest of India but never played an international match during an era when Mohammad Azharuddin and Sanjay Manjrekar were established and Dravid and VVS Laxman were emerging.
CricHubb Take
Sugwekar’s career stands as the clearest domestic-era example of how selection bottlenecks, not runs, decided who crossed the boundary between state giant and international player.