Rajasthan Royals' Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged 14, celebrates after scoring a century during the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur, 28 April, 2025. Photo: SAJJAD HUSSAIN
The 14-year-old prodigy who lit up the Indian Premier League last month, has narrowly missed out on a half-century in India's win over England in their first Under-19 one-day international.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest player to score a century in the IPL while playing for Rajasthan, opened the batting for India and immediately made an impact as he smashed 48 runs in just 19 deliveries as India comfortably chased down the 175 run target.
They won by six wickets with 26 overs to spare.
England had limped to 174 in 42.2 overs after Rocky Flintoff, son of England great Andrew Flintoff, crafted a patient 56 from 90 deliveries but his disciplined knock was quickly overshadowed by Suryavanshi's fireworks.
In his debut season in the Indian Premier League, Suryavanshi has justified the hype around him by scoring 252 runs in seven matches, including a century which made him the youngest player to score a hundred in men's Twenty20 cricket.
Suryavanshi only burgeoned his reputation as he relied on his IPL experience, smashing three fours and five sixes at Hove, where India were going at nearly 10 runs an over.
He scored 21 runs in the sixth over from Jack Home when the Indian teenager cleared the ropes three times before he went after James Minto, with both bowlers immediately taken out of the attack.
Suryavanshi eventually fell to spinner Ralphie Albert when he skied an effort to point, but he had laid the foundation for the chase before Abhigyan Kundu (45 not out) guided India over the line.
- Reuters
