A historic Ranji Trophy game has rewritten the record books, concluding in just 90 overs. The match featured twin hat-tricks and a career-best performance from Riyan Parag, making it one of the most remarkable and shortest first-class games in 63 years of Ranji history.
The Ranji Trophy clash between Assam and Services at the Tinsukia District Sports Association Ground in Kachujan has etched its name in history as the shortest match ever in India’s prestigious red-ball tournament. Lasting a mere 90 overs, Services triumphed over Assam by eight wickets, marking their second consecutive victory in the 2025/26 season, having previously defeated Tripura in Delhi by an innings and 20 runs just a week ago.
In their first innings, Assam struggled, bowled out for a mere 103 runs in 17.2 overs, thanks to remarkable performances from Arjun Sharma (5-46) and Mohit Jangra (3-5), both achieving hat-tricks — a first in first-class cricket where two bowlers accomplished this feat in the same innings. Nevertheless, the home side rallied back, with Riyan Parag leading the charge, as Services could only muster a five-run lead after dismissing Assam for 108 runs in 29.2 overs. Parag achieved his second career five-wicket haul, recording his best bowling figures of 5 for 25, with solid support from Rahul Singh, who took four wickets.
The match continued to be a low-scoring affair, with Assam collapsing for just 75 runs in 29.3 overs during their second innings, which included four players getting out for ducks. Only three batsmen managed to score in double digits.
Chasing a modest target of 71 runs, Services completed the task in just 13.5 overs, losing two wickets, both claimed by Parag.
The entire contest spanned only 90 overs, or 540 balls, with 25 wickets falling on the first day and the remaining seven on the second morning. This match has now set the record for the shortest game in Ranji Trophy history based on balls bowled, surpassing the previous record of 547 balls from a 1962 match between Delhi and Railways, which also concluded in two days, with Delhi winning by an innings and 53 runs.
The record for the shortest first-class match in history is held by the encounter between Faisalabad and Karachi Blues during the 2004-05 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which concluded in just 85 balls after Karachi Blues forfeited their first innings.
In contrast, the shortest completed first-class match took place in 1851, lasting 352 balls between Tasmania and Victoria.
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