India
Sakibul Gani Scripts History as Bihar Smash Records with 574/6 in Vijay Hazare Trophy: Bihar batter and captain Sakibul Gani etched his name into the record books on Wednesday after producing a breathtaking 32-ball century against Arunachal Pradesh in a Plate Group encounter of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. As a result of an extraordinary collective batting display, Bihar piled up a staggering 574 for 6, rewriting men’s List A history.
To begin with, Bihar’s innings had already caught fire when young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi launched a ferocious assault on the Arunachal bowling attack. He raced to a 35-ball century and eventually smashed 190 off just 84 deliveries, setting the tone for what followed. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Ayush Loharuka added further impetus with a commanding 116, ensuring the run rate never dipped.
However, the real spectacle unfolded when skipper Sakibul Gani walked in at No. 5. Thereafter, he unleashed one of the most destructive knocks in List A cricket. Gani remained unbeaten on 128 off only 40 balls, hammering 10 boundaries and 12 sixes. Notably, he reached his hundred in just 32 balls, registering the fastest century by an Indian in men’s List A cricket.
Consequently, Bihar’s final total of 574/6 became the highest ever in men’s List A cricket. Interestingly, the only other 500-plus total in the format had also come against Arunachal Pradesh, when Tamil Nadu scored 506/2 in the 2022–23 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Furthermore, Bihar’s effort now stands as the second-highest List A total overall, trailing only the 632/4 posted by Kandyan Ladies Cricket Club against Pushpadana Ladies in Sri Lanka’s women’s domestic one-day tournament in 2007.
In addition, Vaibhav Suryavanshi achieved another milestone during the same match. He took just 59 balls to reach 150, making it the fastest 150 in men’s List A cricket, surpassing the previous record held by AB de Villiers, who had taken 64 balls against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup.
Equally remarkable, Gani’s 32-ball hundred is the third-fastest men’s List A century of all time. Only Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 29-ball ton against Tasmania in 2023 and AB de Villiers’ 31-ball century against the West Indies in 2015 stand ahead of it. Until now, the fastest Indian List A hundred belonged to Anmolpreet Singh, who had scored one off 35 balls—also against Arunachal Pradesh—earlier in 2024.
Overall, Bihar’s record-shattering performance not only highlighted their batting depth but also underlined the growing trend of explosive scoring in domestic one-day cricket. As the Vijay Hazare Trophy progresses, this historic match will be remembered as a landmark moment that redefined what is possible in men’s List A cricket.
