Bihar cricketer Sakibul Gani on Friday etched his name into the history books after he registered the highest individual score on first-class debut.

The 22-year-old from Motihari smashed 341 runs off 405 balls against Mizoram during a Plate Group match on the second day of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 at the Jadavpur University Campus 2nd Ground in Kolkata.

Reeling at 71/3, Gani walked out at number five and stitched a mammoth 538-run partnership with Babul Kumar (229) for the fourth wicket. Gani’s impressive innings included 56 fours and two sixes. The duo powered Bihar to a massive first innings total of 686/5d against a lacklustre Mizoram bowling attack.

Furthermore, Gani is the first batter in world cricket to hit a triple century on first-class debut, going past Ajay Rohera’s unbeaten knock of 267 runs for Madhya Pradesh against Hyderabad during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season.

The third on the list for highest individual score on first-class debut is former Mumbai batter Amol Muzumdar. 

The right-handed batter had scored 260 runs for Bombay against Haryana in a Ranji Trophy match in the 1993-94 season. It stood as a world record for highest individual score on first-class debut for 24 years until Rohera broke it in December 2018.

Afghanistan batter Bahir Shah and former South Africa cricketer Eric Marx complete the top five list for the highest individual score on first-class debut.

Playing for Speen Ghar Region, Shah scored 256 not out against Amo Region at Amanullah in the 2017-18 season.

On the other hand, Marx smashed a brilliant 240 for Transvaal against Griqualand West at Johannesburg in December 1920, a world record that stood for 73 years.

Highest individual score on first-class debut

Player For Against Runs Balls Season
Sakibul Gani Bihar Mizoram 341 405 2021-22
Ajay Rohera Madhya Pradesh Hyderabad  267* 345 2018-19
Amol Muzumdar Bombay Haryana 260 516 1993-94
Bahir Shah Speen Ghar Region Amo Region 256* 417 2017-18
Eric Marx Transvaal Griqualand West 240 NA 1920-21

Featured photo: BCCI