Gujarat batsman Samit Gohel shatters many first class records with 359 runs in Ranji Trophy! Here's the list

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New Delhi: The Gujarat opener Samit Gohel shattered a host of records with his huge runathon score at Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Odisha in Jaipur. The young batsman scored a record breaking 359 not out for Gujarat in the second innings of in the quarter final of Ranji Trophy match against Odisha at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on December 27, 2016.

Samit 359 not-out now remains the highest unbeaten score by an opening batsman in First class history. He surpassed a 117-year-old record previously held by Bobby Abel, who had scored 357 for Surrey against Somerset at the Oval in 1899 to register the highest score by an opener in first-class cricket.

The 26-year-old opener now holds the record of the fourth highest score in Ranji trophy along with legendary Vijay Merchant of Mumbai, who also remained unbeaten at 359. He scored this brilliant score for Bombay against Andhra Pradesh in 1943/1944 Ranji season.

Interestingly, in 81 years this is the first time that an opener has scored a triple century and carried his bat through an innings apart from being the highest unbeaten total by an opener in first-class cricket.

Samit has surpassed the total of Swapnil Gugale who scored unbeaten 351 for Maharashtra earlier this year. Interestingly, five triple hundreds were scored this year. However, the highest ever score in Ranji trophy is unbeaten 443 by B.BNimbalkar of Maharashtra in 1948/1949 Ranji season.

List of the highest individual scores in the Ranji trophy:

443 (not out) B. B. Nimbalkar (Maharashtra)

377 Sanjay Manjrekar (Bombay)

366 M. V. Sridhar (Hyderabad)

359 (not out) Vijay Merchant (Bombay)

359 (not out) Samit Gohel (Gujarat)