Bihar smash 574/6 to set highest team total; captain Gani becomes Indian with fastest ton

At first glance, the scorecard might look like one from a long-format match since 574 runs were scored for the loss of six wickets. But one would be left startled after seeing the details. The mammoth total was put up in a white-ball match of 50 overs a side. Yes, you heard it right! Wednesday (December 14) witnessed run riots in the domestic Vijay Hazare Trophy in various parts of the country, but what unfolded at the JSCA Oval in Ranchi was something unreal.

Bihar, who were playing Arunachal Pradesh, in a Plate Group match, amassed nearly 600 runs after winning the toss and electing to bat, to set up a record team total in List A cricket, surpassing Tamil Nadu’s 506 for 2 scripted against the same north-eastern opponents in the tournament’s 2022-23 season. The team’s captain, Sakibul Gani, led from the front to bat at a strike rate of 320 to become the Indian to hit the fastest century in List A cricket.

Three batters’ Blitzkrieg

What was special in the Bihar innings is that two other batters besides Gani ran berserk to smash centuries and with them, the opponent bowlers into smithereens. Internationally, England’s 498 for 4 scored against the Netherlands at Amstelveen in 2022 is the highest total in 50-over cricket.

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Several batting records also tumbled as opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi (190 off 83 at strike rate of 226), wicket-keeper-batter Ayush Anand Loharuka (116 off 56 at strike rate of 207) and captain Gani (128 not out in 40 at a strike rate of 320) hit 37 boundaries and 35 sixes together.

Before Suryavanshi storm settled, Loharuka and Gani took over

Even before the supporters stopped celebrating Suryavanshi’s unbelievable 36-ball century in the game, Gani bettered it within hours, scripting his unbeaten hundred in just 32 balls, which is the fastest by an Indian in List A cricket.

Ishan Kishan, who recently made a return to the India T20 squad for the upcoming World Cup at home and Sri Lanka, came close to eclipsing Gani as he slammed his ton in only 33 balls for Jharkhand against Karnataka in Ahmedabad, later in the same day.

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Gani’s feat also makes him the owner of the third-fastest century in List A globally, after Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk (against Tasmania in 29 balls in 2023-24) and South Africa’s AB de Villiers (in 31 balls against the West Indies in 2014-15).

Among the Indians, Punjab’s Anmolpreet Singh held the previous record for the fastest century in List A cricket. He had made a 35-ball ton against Arunachal again, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2024.

Suryavanshi becomes youngest List A centurion

However, while Suryavanshi could not have the fastest century to his name, the swashbuckling southpaw became the youngest to score a century in men’s List A format, at the age of 14 years and 272 days. The batter, who came under criticism for his failure in the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup against Pakistan, a game that India lost badly, slammed nearly a double hundred in just his seventh List A game. He made his debut against Madhya Pradesh in December last year. His highest score in List A before Wednesday’s onslaught was 71.

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The highest score, however, remains with Tamil Nadu’s keeper-batter Narayan Jagadeesan, who blasted 277 in 141 balls against Arunachal last year.

After his departure, Loharuka continued with the onslaught before the captain launched the final assault, which saw Bihar posing the humongous total.

Brief score: Bihar 574 for 6 in 50 overs against Arunachal Pradesh (Suryavanshi 190, Loharuka 116, Gani 128 not out, Techi Neri 2 for 83) vs Arunachal Pradesh