Teenaged batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, just 14, hammered a magnificent 84-ball 190, and ably assisted by skipper Sakibul Gani (128 not out off 40 balls) and Ayush Loharuka (56-ball 116), helped Bihar post a world record 574-6 to beat Arunachal Pradesh (AP) by 397 runs in a Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate Group encounter in Ranchi on Wednesday.
Batting first, opener Sooryavanshi needed just 36 balls to become the youngest centurion in List A cricket before going on to post a massive 190 off just 84 balls. His attacking knock was laced with 16 fours and 15 sixes. No. 5 batter Gani, 26, playing his 34th List A match, scored his third century in just 32 balls, the fastest by an Indian in List A cricket.
Bihar’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Pic/PTI
Thanks to Sooryavanshi, Gani and Loharuka’s attacking knocks, Bihar shattered the previous record held by Tamil Nadu (506-2 vs AP in the 2022-23 season). In reply, AP were bowled out for 177 in 42.1 overs with Bihar pacer Akash Raj and off-spinner Suraj Kashyap claiming three wickets apiece.
Bihar skipper Gani felt Sooryavanshi’s intent gave his team the belief to go for a huge total. “I was just thinking of contributing and helping our team post a big total, but after getting my half-century, I tried for another and got a century and the world record came about. But the way Vaibhav started smashing bowlers all over the park right from the start, it set the tone of our innings and we started believing that we could post 500 today,” Gani told mid-day over the phone from Ranchi on Wednesday.
Sakibul Gani
“Vaibhav is an extraordinary batsman, who has a naturally gifted ability to bat at will. We all enjoy playing with him. His presence in the team gives us all a different kind of belief to perform better,” added Gani, who hit 10 fours and 12 sixes.
Bihar head coach Vinayak Samant lavished praise on all three centurions, but admitted that Sooryavanshi is a special talent. “Vaibhav is a fearless batsman. He is never in two minds about whether he should hit it or not, and is always confident when he decides to go for big on that particular ball. He never plays cross-batted shots and always enjoys playing straight, just like Sachin [Tendulkar], who was also famous for his fearless batting. You cannot compare Vaibhav to Sachin, who is a batting icon, but more than Sachin, I felt he resembled Virender Sehwag today,” said Samant, a former Mumbai head coach.
Vinayak Samant
“Both Vaibhav and our captain Sakibul and Loharuka batted superbly. I hope they continue to play with such a positive mindset, because we need this momentum. This win and record will boost our confidence in the upcoming matches,” concluded Samant.
Brief scores
Bihar 574-6 in 50 overs (V Sooryavanshi 190, S Gani 128*, A Loharuka 116, P Singh 77; T Neri 2-83, T Mohith 2-99) beat Arunachal Pradesh 177 all out in 42.1 overs (K Yangfo 32*; A Raj 3-29, S Kashyap 3-31, H Tiwari 2-33) by 397 runs
59
No. of balls taken by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to reach 150 runs on Wednesday — the fastest in men’s List A cricket
32
No. of balls taken by Bihar skipper Sakibul Gani to reach his century — the fastest by an Indian in List A cricket
68
No. of runs by which Bihar surpassed the previous record one-day score by Tamil Nadu (506-2) against Arunachal
