Sakibul Gani's masterclass (Source: @ASP4Bihar_/x.com)
Every cricketer dreams of a perfect debut; few actually live it. But once in a while, cricket writes a story beyond imagination. Bihar’s Sakibul Gani didn’t just make a debut; he turned it into a record-shattering fairytale that left the cricketing world stunned.
In the 2022 season, the cricket world witnessed the best debut that a batter could dream of. Under the Kolkata skies, Bihar’s Sakibul Gani announced himself in grand style, not with a fifty or a hundred, but with a jaw-dropping triple ton against Mizoram.
That knock carved history as Sakibul Gani etched his name in golden letters, claiming the record for the highest individual score ever on first-class debut. Let’s relive the moment of glory.
Sakibul Gani - the highest individual run-scorer in the first-class debut
As the Indian cricket has witnessed countless cricketing stars, the trustworthy base has always been the Ranji Trophy base. From the brilliance of Sachin Tendulkar to the dominance of Virat Kohli, from Ashwin’s spin wizardry to Bumrah’s fiery pace, every icon once began on these humble grounds. Born from the grassroots, these stars turned the Ranji Trophy into a treasure chest of talent.
In the past, the tournament has seen some unreal heroics, but Bihar batter Sakibul Gani’s first-class debut remains an all-time treasure. The dramatic moment took place in the Ranji Trophy 2022 season when Bihar faced Mizoram in a group stage clash at the Jadavpur University Ground in Kolkata.
Batting first, Bihar lost three crucial wickets in just 71 runs, and the cricket world witnessed a massive turnaround after that. As Lakhan Raja walked back, a young Sakibul Gani stepped onto the crease for his debut innings, unaware that he was about to script history. From an aim to push the side towards a fighting total, it ended up as a historic feat as Gani carved his name in glory with the highest individual score ever on a first-class debut.
A remarkable tale of Gani’s historic debut triple ton
When Bihar needed to boost, Gani arrived with his trusted weapon, and there was no looking back for the side. Dominating Mizoram bowlers, Gani kept swinging his bat as the Kolkata crowd witnessed history in front of their eyes. Hitting the ball all over the ground, Gani smashed a hundred on his first-class debut, but he has more to offer.
Channeling in his exceptional form, he converted to a brilliant double hundred, and the opponent bowlers were still figuring out how to stop this destruction. When he touched the triple hundred mark, the whole world was in awe. With that, he broke Ajay Rohera’s record of scoring the highest individual score on first-class debut, which was 267 runs.
As Gani stitched a massive 538-run partnership with Babul Kumar, Mizoram’s Iqbal Abdulla earned the most-wanted breakthrough as he removed the batter in 341 runs in 408 balls. After Kumar remained unbeaten with 229 runs, Bihar put on a total of 686 runs on the board.
Even though the thrilling contest ended in a draw, Sakibul Gani’s debut turned into a spectacle of history. His monumental 341-run knock didn’t just fill the scoreboard; it rewrote it. In the Ranji Trophy history, the knock remained immortal forever.
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