The wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 14 sixes and four fours to remain unbeaten on 102 that came off just 20 balls. His hurricane innings helped Bagan chase down a victory target of 152 runs in only seven overs in a JC Mukherjee Trophy match against Bengal Nagpur Railways (BNR) Recreational Club at the Kalighat ground. Bagan won the match by 10 wickets.
Opening the innings, Saha started off with a single before smashing pacer Abhidipta Chakraborty all over the park in the very first over. The right-hander had an astonishing strike rate of 510.00 while his opening partner Subhomoy Das remained unbeaten on 43 off 22 balls.
"I could feel from the first ball that I was able to hit the ball from the middle of the bat and I went for it," Saha said. The 33-year-old finished the match in the seventh over hitting medium-pacer Aman Prosad for six sixes. The over yielded 37 runs, including a wide. The last six brought up the India Test specialist's hundred.
"After five sixes in five balls, I tried to hit the last ball for a six as well. I am feeling really good that I could achieve it," he said after the match.
Saha, however, played down his achievement. "I am not sure whether this is a record. With the IPL coming up, I just tried to play different shots and it worked out beautifully today," he said.
Saha had to return home from the South Africa series after suffering an injury that ruled him out of action for some time. "I got injured during the South Africa tour and had to come back. But to score a century in any format is good before a big tournament like the IPL. I feel more confident. However, the level of IPL is much higher than club cricket," he added.
Saha said he likes to open the innings in T20s but with Sunrisers Hyderabad already having the mercurial David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting, he is ready to bat in any position for his new team. Saha, who played for the Kings XI Punjab in the previous edition of IPL, was picked up by Sunrisers for INR 5 Crore at the auction earlier this year.