It has been 68 years since Bhausaheb Nimbalkar scored an unbeaten 443 for Maharashtra in a Ranji Trophy game against Kathiawar and it still remains a record for the highest score by an Indian batsman in first-class cricket.
Nimbalkar actually had an opportunity to break the then world record which was held by Don Bradman (452*). The Kathiawar captain Thakore Saheb of Rajkot, though, conceded the match despite pleas to allow Nimbalkar to score ten more runs.
At that point, Maharashtra had a 588-run lead in the first innings, with their total reading 826-4. Nimbalkar scored his runs at a brisk pace in an innings that included 49 fours and one six.
Nimbalkar’s 443 is currently the fourth highest score by any batsman in first-class cricket, only behind Brian Lara (501*), Hanif Mohammad (499) and Bradman.
Here, we look at the top scores by an Indian batsman in first-class cricket.
| Player | Team | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhausaheb Nimbalkar | Maharashtra | Kathiawar | 443* |
| Sanjay Manjrekar | Mumbai | Hyderabad | 377 |
| MV Sridhar | Hyderabad | Andhra | 366 |
| Vijay Merchant | New Zealand | Maharashtra | 359* |
| VVS Laxman | Hyderabad | Karnataka | 353 |
