India's teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced the best performance of his nascent career at the biggest stage as he hit a whirlwind century in the final of the U19 World Cup against England on Friday.
Batting first in the title match at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe, Suryavanshi blasted a scarcely believable 175 from just 80 balls to propel India to 250-2 in just 25 overs in the 50-over contest.
The left-handed opener dominated the first half of the Indian innings, teaming up with captain Ayush Mhatre (53) in an unprecedented display of power hitting.
Still only 14, Suryavanshi hit 15 sixes and as many boundaries to put India on track for a massive total in the U19 final.
The opening batter's extraordinary innings came to an end as he gloved medium pacer Manny Lumsden behind.
Suryavanshi continued his excellent form in the World Cup, which also included three fifties.
His innings helped India post a record score of 411-9 in their 50 overs. Interestingly, apart from Suryavanshi and Mhatre, no other batter scored fifty or more. Instead, the entire middle order made sizeable contributions.
Late last year, Suryavanshi hit 14 sixes in an U19 Asia Cup match against the UAE. The teen prodigy now has scored at every competitive level, including the IPL, domestic cricket and international age group cricket.
He was fast-tracked to senior cricket by Rajasthan Royals who debuted him late last season in the IPL. There, Suryavanshi showed why team managements are eager to give him an opportunity as he became the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket.
“What were you doing at 14?!!” former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh had posted on social media then. “This kid is taking on the best bowlers in the world without blinking an eyelid. Playing with a fearless attitude. Proud to see the next generation shine.”
His knock against an international level bowling attack of Gujarat Titans showed the young batter could be fast-tracked into senior international cricket.
However, the Indian team decided to keep him at a lower level for the time being since it is a World Cup cycle and they did not want to throw him in the deep end when competition for spots is unusually intense.
But with his latest innings, and that too in an ICC final, expect the young opener to earn his senior team cap some time this year.
After Suryavanshi's stunning IPL century last year, India great Sachin Tendulkar, himself a teenage prodigy who debuted at the age of 16, lauded the hugely talented batter.
"Vaibhav's fearless approach, bat speed, picking the length early and transferring the energy behind the ball was the recipe behind a fabulous innings," Tendulkar had posted on social media.
