Instamatch Take on Priyanshu Moliya's Unbeaten 321 at 21

Some cricketers get famous early and then fade away. Priyanshu Moliya is trying to show he isn't one of them. As a teenager he scored 556 not out in a junior match. On Tuesday in Vadodara, now 21, he made an unbeaten 321 for Baroda against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy. Here's the story behind both innings.

The Boy Who Scored 556 Not Out

Moliya first made headlines in an Under-14 tournament, where he scored 556 not out off 319 balls. The innings had 98 fours and one six, and his team finished on 826 for 4. He also took four wickets with his off-spin in the same game. He later said he set himself goals of 100 runs at a time and just kept going. By his own account, he was beaten four or five times during the innings but stuck to his normal game.

His mentor was World Cup winner Mohinder Amarnath. According to Moliya's father, it was Amarnath who advised the family to move to Baroda.

A Strong Start in the Ranji Trophy

Moliya made his Ranji Trophy debut in December 2022, aged 17. He scored centuries in his first two matches, so the talent was clear from day one. The real question was whether he could do it over long periods.

Instamatch View of the 321-Run Marathon in Vadodara

Baroda won the toss and batted at the Reliance Cricket Stadium in the third round of the 2026-27 season. It didn't go smoothly. Jammu and Kashmir, the defending champions, had Baroda at 197 for 6 on the first day. Then Moliya got on with the job.

How He Built the Innings

He finished on 321 not out off 492 balls, with 36 fours and a six. Afterwards he said he simply tried to bat as long as possible because wickets had fallen early. His seventh-wicket stand with Mahesh Pithiya did the most damage. Pithiya made 102 off 214 balls, his first first-class hundred, and Baroda were all out for 616.

Breaking a 79-Year-Old Record

Moliya went past Gul Mohammad's 319 from the 1946-47 final. That had been the highest first-class score by a Baroda batter for almost 80 years. He is also only the second Baroda player to score a first-class triple hundred.

Records at a Glance

• The highest first-class score for Baroda, ahead of Gul Mohammad's 319.

• A triple century at 21 years and 132 days, which makes him one of the youngest Indians to do it.

Why This Innings Was Different From the 556

The 556 came in a junior game, with fours flying everywhere. The 321 was a different kind of innings. It lasted across two days, it came after early wickets, and it was played against an attack that bowled 169 overs. That takes patience, not just timing. Thirty-six fours and only one six also tells you how he played. Most of the runs came along the ground, with very little risk.

A Tough Day for Jammu and Kashmir

J&K ended the second day at 6 without loss, still 610 runs behind. Sahil Lotra took four wickets but conceded 160 runs. The defending champions had Baroda in trouble early and still couldn't finish the job. Baroda's lower order also deserves credit for helping take the total past 600.

Instamatch Pointers for Following Baroda's Season

What to Watch Next

The match is far from over, and there's more to follow in this round. A few things stand out:

1. How quickly Baroda's bowlers can get through the J&K batting.

2. Whether Moliya can turn this into a big season.

3. Whether Delhi captain Ayush Badoni, who made 210 not out on the same day, keeps up his run of double hundreds.

To keep up with highlights and scores from the rest of the cricket season, keep the Instamatch playbook bookmarked. Round three has already shown how quickly a Ranji match can change.

Final Thoughts

Moliya was a famous name as a young teenager, and now he's backing it up with serious runs. A triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy is hard to ignore, and it will be interesting to see what he does next.