Moliya's Marathon 321 Not Out Rewrites Baroda's Record Books in Ranji Trophy

Priyanshu Moliya announced himself in the most emphatic way possible on Tuesday, batting for 492 deliveries to finish unbeaten on 321 for Baroda against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy. The 21-year-old's marathon knock, featuring 36 fours and a six, carried Baroda to 616 in their first innings and stands as the highest individual first-class score in the team's history. Moliya arrived at the crease with Baroda wobbling at 36 for one and had to rebuild repeatedly as wickets fell around him. A 91-run stand with Deepak Hooda steadied the innings before a collapse to 197 for six, and it was Mahesh Pithiya's century in a 238-run seventh-wicket partnership that finally gave Moliya the platform to accelerate. He brought up his triple century off 467 balls, becoming only the second Baroda batter to reach the milestone after Gul Mohammad's 319 in 1947. The innings is all the more remarkable given Moliya had not played a first-class match since February 2024 until this season, and he already owns the record for the fifth-highest score ever recorded in an under-14 match, an unbeaten 556. After back-to-back centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and a 132 last week against Bihar, the former India under-19 World Cup representative is enjoying a stunning return to form.