In a historic feat that had endured for over a century, 15-year-old schoolboy Pranav Dhanawade rewrote cricket’s record books on this day in 2016, crafting the sport’s first-ever four-figure innings. Overnight, Dhanawade’s life underwent a transformative shift as he blazed an astonishing 1,009 not out for Smt KC Gandhi School during an under-16 HT Bhandari Cup inter-school game.
Dhanawade’s extraordinary innings featured an incredible 59 sixes and 127 fours, leading to his school, KC Gandhi, declaring at 1,465 against Arya Gurukul School.
The phones in the family rang incessantly on as news of Dhanawade’s achievement spread. Friends and relatives were ecstatic, realizing that he had surpassed Arthur Collins’ 1899 record of 628 not out but also set a new Indian school cricket record, eclipsing Prithvi Shaw’s 546 runs.
Collins had set the previous record with 628 not out for Clarke’s House against North House at Clifton College. As Dhanawade approached this historic milestone, the cheers of supporters echoed, and when he breached the 1,000-run barrier, jubilant fans stormed onto the pitch in celebration, marking a momentous chapter in cricket history.
