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Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s legend grows with power-packed 171 in Under-19 Asia Cup, narrowly misses world record
Nothing seems to stop Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who began the Under-19 Asia Cup with a blistering century.
With a month left for the Under-19 World Cup, Vaibhav Suryavanshi demonstrated once again why he could well be every bowler’s nightmare in the tournament. Playing the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, the 14-year-old blasted a 54-ball century in India’s first match of the tournament against the UAE on Friday.
Suryavanshi continued his love affair with batting against the UAE. Not too long ago, during the Emerging Nations Asia Cup, Suryavanshi had blasted 144 after being dropped on 0 on the first ball. Here too, Suryavanshi was on 86 when a chance was spilt at long on. But he quickly brushed off the rare lapse in concentration and deposited the next ball for six to enter the 90s. Suryavanshi missed bettering his own world record for the fastest century in Under-19, which he achieved not too long ago off 52 deliveries. Once he reached his 100, Suryavanshi had a very subdued celebration, looking towards the heavens and folding his hands.
Also Read: India vs UAE LIVE Score, Under 19 Asia Cup
Suryavanshi began his innings with a streaky boundary in the second over. From there, he batted in a manner never seen before, biding his time and rotating the strike even as his partner, Aaron George, began to score boundaries. However, once he got his eye in, all hell broke loose. Suryavanshi switched gears only the way he can, tonking Ahmed Khudadad for three sixes in an over.
Suryavanshi and George continued to bat along as runs came thick and fast for the Indians. The duo put together a partnership of 200 runs and counting, surpassing the other 200-run stand between an Indian pair at the Under-19 Asia Cup. In 2018, Anuj Rawat and Devdutt Padikkal put on 205 runs for the opening wicket, also against the UAE. The stand finally ended on 212, with George falling for 69, but not before the two shot the scoring rate up to more than 8 and over, putting India on track for 400.
Suryavanshi switched gears after his 100, as he quickly racked up the next 71 runs in the next 39 balls. With history awaiting - only one player has scored a double century in Youth ODIs - Suryavanshi looked set to join him, and became the youngest to get there, which would have been a world record. However, with 29 runs still to go, Suryavanshi missed putting bat to ball while attempting a paddle sweep.
Suryavanshi, along with his captain Ayush Mhatre, is coming into the tournament following a great run of form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. While Mhatre played a massive role in the group league stages with back-to-back centuries and a fifty, Suryavanshi became the youngest player in SMAT history to hit a century, against Maharashtra.
In India's squad of 15, these are two boys, who have played more than 30 senior-level games across the three formats and cumulatively scored nine centuries. That, in fact, is the most number of senior-level centuries when all the other seven teams are combined, and it does make India the runaway favourites in the junior continental championship.
