CHENNAI: 2019 for cricket seems to be a year where age seems to be holding no bar. On one hand, there is MS Dhoni, who started off by showing that even at 37 his nerves pump liquid nitrogen. On the other, you have Wasim Jaffer. He may be less than a month away from turning 41 and sitting atop a first-class run mountain (the second best active player behind his Ranji Trophy tally of 11,707 is Devendra Bundela, who trails by 2,506 despite being a year older). Heck, he’s even got a nephew who cut his first-class teeth three years ago. But the Vidarbha one-down is still eating runs and records for breakfast. All that with his team breathing down what could culminate in a second successive Ranji title.

Most Ranji caps. Most centuries (40) in the event’s history. Only batsman in Asia to notch up two first-class double tons after being on the other side of 40. And, we’re not even counting his nine titles, with the last coming with him being a player and mentor.

“The thing about being with a team that has developed a habit of winning is that it makes you want to keep going,” is how Jaffer sums up what is still making him tick. “Honestly, if I were a part of side that wasn’t doing as well, I might have been thinking otherwise. A lot of that credit goes to Chandrakant Pandit (coach), for instilling a khadoos (combative) culture. If you’re playing for records, that’s wrong. But if you’re playing with a team that makes what you’re doing a thing of joy, then you just want to keep continuing.”  

For a player who’s seen pretty much everything first-class cricket — and for one who dropped off the national radar nearly 11 years ago — one would think that reinventing the wheel as a batsman won’t feature atop Jaffer’s agendas. But, numbers from this season indicate otherwise.

His 969 runs — top among Elite Group batsmen — have come at a strike rate of 61.05, a nearly 10-run spike from last time. That increment may not set off many alarms, but a look at his tons — including his double against Uttarakhand — may negate that notion.

After finding his groove against Baroda with a 284-ball 153, Jaffer’s other three tons came at a clip of at least 69 or more. His 178 against Mumbai, in particular, came at a strike rate of 90.81. That was also his fastest first-class ton (85 balls).

“Before that Baroda century, I was getting starts, but not converting. After getting those many balls under my belt, I wanted to be more positive,” explains Jaffer, while referring to this season’s revamped format as a catalyst. “An outright win is double in both points and impact. So that did factor in. And I learnt from my first few seasons that it wasn’t just about spending time, but also about making it count. I’ve played like this in 2005-06 and a couple of other seasons, if I recollect correctly. So, I’m not a stranger to this approach. And when you have a coach and a team who back you to do what you intend to, there’s nothing like it.”

Thursday onwards, Kerala will have to find ways to cope with that intent Jaffer and his fellow defending champions will look to unleash in Wayanad during their semifinal.