Baroda sets highest T20 runs record of 349/5 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match

Baroda etched its name in cricket history by posting the highest-ever total in T20 cricket, scoring a staggering 349/5 against Sikkim during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Emerald High School Ground in Indore on Thursday. The record-breaking effort surpassed Zimbabwe’s 344/4 against Gambia in Nairobi, set in October.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Baroda captain Krunal Pandya led his team to a monumental innings, powered by standout performances from multiple batters. Bhanu Pania stole the show with an unbeaten 134 off just 51 balls, smashing 15 sixes and 5 fours. Contributions came from Shivalik Sharma (55 off 17 balls, 6 sixes, and 3 fours), Abhimanyu Singh (53 off 17 balls, 4 boundaries, and 5 sixes), Vishnu Solanki (50 off 16 balls, 6 sixes, and 2 fours), and Shashwat Rawat (43 off 16 balls, 4 sixes, and 4 fours).

In addition to the record total, Baroda also set a new benchmark for the most sixes in a T20 innings, hammering 37 maximums, obliterating the previous record of 27 sixes held by Zimbabwe against Gambia.

Baroda’s stellar form extends beyond this historic match. In the Ranji Trophy, the team tops Group A with four outright wins in five games, while in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, they’ve notched up six victories in seven matches.

Meanwhile, in another match on Thursday, Punjab opener Abhishek Sharma smashed the second-fastest century in T20 history, scoring an unbeaten 106 off just 29 balls against Meghalaya in Rajkot. His blitzkrieg innings featured 11 sixes and 8 fours at a strike rate of 365.52, equalling the record for the fastest century in the tournament set by Gujarat’s Urvil Patel last week.