Wicketkeeper Ibrahim Kh-aleel set a world record by affecting 14 dismissals (11 catches and 3 stumpings) in Hyderabad’s innings and 78-run win over Assam in a Ranji Trophy match at Guwahati on Sunday. Khaleel snapped seven victims in the second inni-ngs to add to an equal number in the first and rewrote a 15-year-old mark for any form of cricket. Zimbab-we’s Wayne Robert James had held the record with 13 victims for Matabeleland against Mashonaland Cou-ntry Districts in their dom-estic first class match in the 1995-96 season. James had also scored 99 and 99 not out in the two innings. Khaleel hit an unbeaten 37 in the only chance he got to bat in the landmark match.
The Test record for a wicketkeeper stands at 11 dismissals, held by English-man Robert Charles (better known as Jack) Russell ag-ainst South Africa in 1995. Nayan Mongia and Mahe-ndra Singh Dhoni are joint holders of India’s Test best, with 8 dismissals each. Sa-marjith Nath of Assam had held the Indian overall rec-ord with 11 victims against Tripura in a 2001-02 Ranji Trophy match in Guwaha-ti. Ironically, that was Na-th’s only first class game. On Sunday, Khaleel was in dreamland as Hyderabad turned the heat on. “I just didn’t know what was happening. The edges kept co-ming my way and I was ha-ppy to snap them up,” the elated wicketkeeper said.
Khaleel was already euph-oric about Hyderabad’s outright victory when he got to know of the world record. “I did not realise it. I was soaking up our win after the game when I began to receive updates about my feat. First they said the In-dian record stood at 11 and I was happy, then I was told that I had surpassed the wo-rld mark. Couldn’t believe it,” the 29-year-old said.