An extraordinary batting display in Ranchi on Tuesday saw Bihar rewrite the List A record books, piling up a staggering 574 runs against Arunachal Pradesh in a Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate League match.
While teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryabanshi grabbed early attention with a breathtaking assault at the top of the order, it was Bihar captain Sakibul Gani who ultimately stole the spotlight with a blistering 32-ball century — the fastest ever by an Indian in List A cricket and the third quickest overall.
Suryabanshi had set the tone by racing to a century off just 36 balls, becoming the youngest player to score a hundred in List A cricket. The left-handed opener went even further, bringing up the fastest 150 in the format during a sensational knock that left the Arunachal attack reeling.
Yet Sakibul raised the bar even higher. His unbeaten hundred from 32 deliveries surpassed the previous Indian record held by Anmolpreet Singh, who had struck a 35-ball century against the same opponents in last year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The avalanche of records did not stop there. Centuries from Suryabanshi, Sakibul and Ayush Loharuka propelled Bihar to 574 runs — the highest team total ever recorded in a List A innings. The previous record stood at 506 for two, set by Tamil Nadu against Arunachal Pradesh in 2022.
Suryabanshi’s 36-ball hundred was initially joint fourth on the list of fastest List A centuries, but within an hour it slipped to sixth following Sakibul’s effort and another stunning innings elsewhere in the tournament, where India opener Ishan Kishan struck a 33-ball century for Jharkhand against Karnataka — now the second-fastest by an Indian.
Sakibul finished unbeaten on 128 from just 40 balls, while Loharuka added 116 off 56 deliveries. Suryabanshi’s remarkable innings ended at 190 from 84 balls.
Bihar hammered 38 sixes in total, scoring 228 runs through maximums alone, as Arunachal Pradesh’s bowlers endured an unforgettable onslaught.
