Riyan Parag clubs 12 sixes, enters record books with 56-ball Ranji Trophy century: 5 fastest tons in tournament history

Riyan Parag smashed the second-fastest century in the history of Ranji Trophy, getting to the landmark off just 56 balls for Assam against Chhattisgarh.

Riyan Parag went on an insane hitting spree, clubbing as many as 12 sixes and smashing the second-fastest Ranji Trophy century of all time on Day 4 of Assam's Group B Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh in Raipur on Monday. Parag, the Assam captain took 56 balls to reach the landmark and went on to add 55 more to eventually finish on 155 off 87 balls with 11 fours and 12 sixes. Parag's contribution however came in a losing cause as Chhattisgarh romped home by 10 wickets after successfully chasing down 87 in 20 overs. Having said that, Parag's knock will go down as next only to Rishabh Pant's 48 ball-ton against Jharkhand back in the 2016 season.

Riyan Parag's blitzkrieg was not enough to prevent Assam from going down (Screengrab)

Not that Parag's knock made much of a difference, it certainly was one of the bravest and heroic innings in Ranji Trophy history. Assam, forced to follow on after being bundled out for 159 in their reply to Chhattisgarh's 327, were 78/2 when out walked Parag with an intent-filled mindset. Lack of support from the other end – wickets kept falling – prompted Parag to go fifth gear straightaway.

Assam were bowled out for 245, with the other 10 batters contributing just 99 between themselves. After Parag, not even a single batter could cross double-digits as the entire Assam innings came unglued. But their captain remained a man possessed, clearing boundaries with ease, and scoring his runs at a manic strike-rate of 178.16. With Parag entering the record books, we bring you the five fastest centuries of all time.

1 Rishabh Pant – off 48 balls

Pant's blistering century off just 48 balls lit up the Ranji Trophy clash between Delhi and Jharkhand in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, in 2016. While Jharkhand had amassed a mammoth 493 thanks to Ishan Kishan's remarkable double century, it was Pant who stole the show in audacious fashion. Though Delhi had been limited to 334 in the first innings, trailing by 159, Pant's second-innings onslaught rewrote the script. His century arrived in a dizzying 48 balls, a whirlwind knock of 135 off just 67 deliveries, laced with eight fours and a staggering 13 sixes. This display surpassed even his U19 skipper Ishan Kishan's earlier heroics. The 21 sixes Pant smashed stand as the second-most ever hit in a first-class match, just behind Colin Munro's 23 in 2015.

2 Riyan Parag – off 56 balls

Parag began his 2024 Ranji Trophy campaign with a breath-taking 155 off just 87 balls against Chhattisgarh, albeit it came in a losing cause. Parag smoked 12 sixes, and 11 fours en route to the second-fastest Ranji Trophy century of all time. The Assam captain went on a rampage, scoring his runs at a strike-rate of 178 and blowing away the bowlers. Hard done by lack of support from his teammates, Parag scored 52 percent of Assam's total of 254, which wasn't enough to stop the opponents from scampering to a 10-wicket win.

3 Naman Ojha – off 69 balls

Madhya Pradesh's Naman Ojha played arguably one of the most entertaining innings in a drawn encounter. In the 2015 Ranji trophy match against Karnataka, Ojha smashed a whirlwind 115 off just 81 balls, the century taking 69 balls to come. With 8 fours and 9 sixes, Ojha was unstoppable and his late charge allowed him to add 179 runs for the third wicket with Aditya Srivastava. Ojha, who had creamed a fifty in the first innings, took MP's total to 277/3 with a lead of 58 runs after Karnataka had piled 522 with centuries from Manish Pandey and Shreyas Gopal.

4 Eklavya Dwivedi – off 72 balls

Eklavya Dwivedi's belligerent century saw Uttar Pradesh secure a vital win against Railways, escaping relegation and finishing seventh in Group A. Facing a must-win situation, UP started cautiously after losing an early wicket. Tanmay Srivastava anchored the chase with a patient fifty, while Dwivedi provided the impetus with a well-paced 102 off 73 deliveries - his century coming off 72 balls. He found able support from Umang Sharma (35), and together they guided UP over the line in 74.4 overs.

5 Rishabh Pant – off 82 balls

Pant secures a double entry in his list, a testament to his exceptional twin performances in the same match. Before dazzling with a 48-ball innings in the second innings, he had already notched up a century in 82 balls in the first. Pant's remarkable 117 off 106 balls marked the second century for Delhi in the innings, with Unmukt Chand contributing the first with his score of 109. Together, their efforts propelled Delhi to a total of 334 all out, a significant response after Jharkhand had posted a formidable 493, primarily fuelled by Ishan's incredible knock of 273.