Bhanu Pania smashes 134* in Baroda's record T20 score: Stats
What's the story
Baroda's cricket team created a new T20 record by scoring a mammoth 349 runs against Sikkim in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024/25 season.
The team, captained by Krunal Pandya, went berserk on the field with their aggressive batting.
Bhanu Pania, a key player for Baroda, was instrumental in this historic feat with his unbeaten 134 off just 51 balls.
This was Pania's maiden T20 century and it came with 15 sixes and five fours.
Batting brilliance
Pania's rapid century and Baroda's batting prowess
Pania exhibited his batting skills by scoring his half-century in a mere 20 balls and his century in 42 balls.
His innings was supported by half-centuries from opener Abhimanyu Singh (53 off 17 balls), Shivalik Sharma (55 off 17 balls), and wicket-keeper Vikram Solanki (50 off 16 balls).
They collectively smashed 37 sixes and 18 fours, leaving the Sikkim bowlers with a tough day.
Ton
Pania slams his maiden T20 century
Pania, a 28-year-old right-handed middle-order batter, hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He made his List A and T20 debut for Baroda in 2021.
In the ongoing SMAT season, he owns 254 runs from 7 matches (5 innings) at 84.66. His strike rate is 228.82. This was his maiden fifty-plus score in SMAT 2024/25.
In 36 T20s (28 innings), Pania has raced to 595 runs at 33.05. His strike rate is 152.56. He owns one ton and one fifty.
Records
Pania attains these SMAT feats
As per ESPNcricinfo, Pania now owns the 5th-highest individual score in the history of SMAT.
It's also the highest score by a Baroda batter in the tourney.
Pania has smashed the joint-2nd most sixes in a SMAT match (15). He matched the record of Shreyas Iyer (15 sixes vs Sikkim, 2019).
Punit Bisht holds the record with 17 sixes for Meghalaya against Sikkim in 2021.