Fourteen year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced another outstanding innings to record the second highest score by an Indian in the tournament.
The young batter played with confidence and calm. He scored quickly without taking risks. His timing was clean and his shot selection remained sharp.
Suryavanshi reached his milestones with ease. He punished loose balls and ran hard between the wickets. The bowlers struggled to contain him as the runs kept coming.
His final score placed him just behind Ambati Rayudu, who still holds the top record with an unbeaten knock. Even so, the innings earned praise from all sides.
Suryavanshi achieved the feat in the Under 19 Asia Cup in Dubai. He struck a 54 ball century in India’s opening match against the UAE.
He had already hurt the same opponent earlier this year with a fine 144 in the Emerging Nations Asia Cup. On both occasions, he made full use of dropped chances.
On Friday, a catch went down when he was on 86. He stayed composed and hit the very next ball for a six.
The teenager missed his own record for the fastest Under 19 hundred by two balls. Still, it ranked among the fastest centuries in youth ODI history. He celebrated quietly before resuming his innings.
After a steady start, Suryavanshi rotated the strike while Aaron George scored freely. Once set, he shifted gears and attacked, including three sixes in one over off Ahmed Khudadad.
The pair added 212 runs, the highest partnership by an Indian duo in Under 19 Asia Cup history. It broke the previous record of 205 set in 2018.
After reaching his hundred, Suryavanshi accelerated and scored 71 runs from 39 balls, finishing on 171 off 95 balls. He looked on course for a double century but fell 29 runs short after missing a sweep.
