Quick Read
- Sakibul Gani scored a 32-ball century for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26.
- Gani’s unbeaten 128 off 40 balls helped Bihar post 574/6—the highest team total in List A cricket history.
- He broke the record for the fastest List A century by an Indian, previously held by Anmolpreet Singh.
On a Wednesday that started like any other in Ranchi, Sakibul Gani’s bat turned the Vijay Hazare Trophy into a spectacle that will be talked about for years. The Bihar captain, a quietly rising star in Indian domestic cricket, delivered a 32-ball century against Arunachal Pradesh—an achievement that sent shockwaves through the record books and left cricket fans scrambling for superlatives.
Gani’s feat wasn’t just about the numbers, though the numbers are jaw-dropping: 128 not out off 40 balls, 10 fours, 12 sixes, and the fastest List A century ever by an Indian. His hundred arrived in just 32 deliveries, eclipsing previous records set by Anmolpreet Singh (35 balls) and even the remarkable 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had slammed a 36-ball century earlier in the same innings (NDTV, News24Online). In a tournament typically defined by grind and modest crowds, Gani’s blitz was a thunderclap—a statement of intent from a player whose journey began far from the spotlight.
Born September 2, 607, in Motihari, Bihar, Sakibul Gani honed his craft at a local academy before earning recognition in under-19 competitions. His talent as a right-handed batter and right-arm medium pacer propelled him into India’s youth ranks and, eventually, onto the national radar. But it was his first-class breakthrough—a mammoth 341-run knock against Mizoram in the Ranji Trophy—that put selectors on notice and hinted at a temperament built for big moments (News24Online).
Fast forward to the JSCA Oval in Ranchi: Bihar, already roaring thanks to Suryavanshi’s 190 and Ayush Loharuka’s 116, looked set to challenge the List A team total record. When Gani walked in, the team stood at 391/3 in 39.3 overs—already a formidable platform, but far from the world-beating 574/6 they ultimately posted. What happened next was a lesson in controlled aggression. Of the 40 balls Gani faced, only five were dots. Twenty-two deliveries disappeared to the boundary or beyond, as he combined clean hitting with ruthless efficiency. The scoreboard ticked upwards at an almost surreal pace, culminating in Bihar’s obliteration of Tamil Nadu’s previous record of 506/2 (Devdiscourse, Times of India).
For Gani, this wasn’t just a personal milestone. He became the fastest Indian to a List A hundred, rewriting a record previously held by Ishan Kishan (33 balls) and leapfrogging Suryavanshi’s earlier heroics. More than that, he became a symbol for Bihar’s cricketing renaissance—a state often overlooked in the domestic hierarchy, now the epicenter of one of the sport’s greatest statistical earthquakes. Fans quickly dubbed him a ‘game-changer’, and selectors are reportedly watching closely as Gani’s career trajectory shifts from promising to headline-worthy.
Statistically, Gani’s profile is intriguing. Before this match, his List A strike rate hovered around 72, not typically the mark of a destructive finisher. Yet, as the pressure and opportunity converged, he unlocked a gear that few anticipated. In his 33 List A appearances, Gani has scored 867 runs, including two centuries and two fifties. In first-class cricket, he’s even more prolific—over 2,000 runs in 28 matches, with five hundreds and eight fifties to his name (News24Online).
What does this mean for Indian cricket? In a Vijay Hazare Trophy suddenly supercharged by the returns of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gani’s performance stands as a reminder that the domestic circuit is bursting with new stories. While national icons chase milestones and redemption, young players like Gani are seizing their own spotlight, sometimes overshadowing even the most established names.
The narrative isn’t just about Gani’s individual brilliance. It’s about what his innings represents: the possibility for transformation, the hunger that propels cricketers from obscurity to stardom, and the way one extraordinary knock can change the course of a tournament—and perhaps a career.
Looking ahead, Gani’s 32-ball hundred will inevitably draw attention from IPL scouts and national selectors. His blend of all-round ability, temperament under pressure, and willingness to innovate makes him a tantalizing prospect for white-ball cricket. With Bihar’s record-breaking total now etched in cricketing lore, Gani’s journey will be followed with anticipation. The question is no longer whether he belongs at the top level, but how quickly he’ll be asked to prove it again.
Gani’s landmark century is more than a record; it’s a signal that Indian domestic cricket is evolving, with new talents rising to challenge established hierarchies. In a sport where legacy is often measured in decades, Sakibul Gani’s single afternoon in Ranchi has already carved out a place in history—and opened a new chapter for Bihar and Indian cricket alike.