Nagpur schoolboy scores 461 not out !!!!

NAGPUR: Unsurprisingly, 15-year-old Ali Zoren Khan , a Std X standard student of Saraswati Vidyalaya, scored a stupendous unbeaten 461 for NCA against Reshimbag Cricket Club on Friday.

Idolizes Sachin Tendulkar. And like most youngsters playing cricket, he aspires to play for India.

Well, like his idol - who first shot into the limelight by posting a record 664-run stand with Vinod Kambli as a schoolboy, too made waves on Friday by scoring 461 not out for the Nagpur Cricket Academy against Reshimbag Cricket Club in an inter-academy tournament conducted by the Vidarbha Cricket Association.

It was the highest score by an Indian schoolboy, eclipsing the 439 by Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan in a Harris Shield tie in November 2009. It is still not clear, though, whether left-hander Ali's innings will be recorded as the highest individual score in school cricket.

"Since this is a recognized tournament of the Vidarbha Cricket Association, it must be a record but I can't confirm it yet," noted statistician Mohandas Menon.

In his seven-hour innings, Ali, a Class 10 student of Saraswati Vidyalaya, faced 308 balls, hit 64 fours and cleared the 60-yard boundary 12 times. "I could have scored 500 but we had a plan to bat till lunch as we needed enough time to bowl them out twice. So no regrets," he said.

Thanks to Ali Zoren's effort, NCA, resuming at 805 for 4, amassed 1,025 for the loss of 5 wickets in 125 overs. Apart from Ali Zoren, three other batsmen too made centuries. Menon was also not able to confirm if the team score was a record.

Though he was unbeaten on 364 on Day 1 and was chasing a record, Ali said he slept well on Thursday. "My coach told me about Sarfaraz's record and I was determined to cross it."

How ever, I decided to play my natural game and didn't miss out on any bad delivery today,'' he said. When the golden moment came, Ali Zoren's celebrations were restrained. It was enough to suggest that no score was satisfying enough for this youngster.

Ali Zoren's parents Shalah and Mujaffar Khan, who watched his marathon effort, were on cloud nine. "We hope he continues to work hard and makes us more proud,'' they echoed.

Ali Zoren, whose elder brother Aman played for Vidarbha Under-15 three years back, is already being looked as a bright Vidarbha prospect. Surprisingly, he started as a bowler but childhood coach Mangesh Pandit saw Ali Zoren's batting potential. "He had natural batting talent. I never stopped Ali Zoren from bowling but made him believe that if he worked hard, he could become a very good batsman. The results are there for everyone to see,'' said Pandit.