Sakibul Gani smashes fastest List A century by an Indian

Bihar captain Sakibul Gani delivered a breathtaking performance on Wednesday, becoming the fastest Indian to score a List A century during the Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate Group opener against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground.

Gani reached his hundred in just 32 balls, setting a new national benchmark in List A cricket. He remained unbeaten on 128 from 40 deliveries, an innings packed with clean hitting that included 10 fours and 12 sixes. His knock came on a remarkable day for Indian domestic cricket, as Jharkhand’s Ishan Kishan also entered the record books with a 33-ball century against Karnataka in Ahmedabad.

Notably, the two fastest List A hundreds by Indian batters were recorded on the same opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at two different venues — Ranchi and Ahmedabad.

The overall world record for the fastest List A century, however, remains with Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk, who reached the milestone in 29 balls for South Australia against Tasmania in Adelaide in October 2023.

Bihar’s innings was a collective onslaught. Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi led the charge with a stunning 190 off 84 balls, becoming the youngest centurion in men’s List A cricket. Ayush Loharuka added to the carnage with a rapid 116 off 56 deliveries, while Gani’s century capped a dominant batting display.

After choosing to bat first, Bihar piled up a staggering 574 for six — the highest total ever recorded in List A cricket. The previous record was 506 for two, set by Tamil Nadu against Arunachal Pradesh in 2022. Bihar’s innings featured 49 fours and 38 sixes, underlining a day of relentless scoring and shattered records.