India’s teen batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi on Friday smashed the second-fastest century in Under-19 World Cup history, bringing up his hundred off just 55 balls in the final against England at the Harare Sports Club.
His knock was laced with six boundaries and as many sixes, making him the second-fastest centurion in U19 World Cup history. He surpassed Pakistan’s Qasim Akram, who had reached his century in 63 balls against Sri Lanka in 2022. Australia’s Will Malajczuk currently holds the record for the fastest U19 World Cup century, having scored a 51-ball hundred against Japan in 2026.
Suryavanshi also became the fastest Indian to score a century in U19 World Cup history, breaking the previous record held by Raj Angad Bawa, who had reached the milestone in 69 balls against Uganda in 2022. The 14-year-old batter further became the third Indian to score a century in a U19 World Cup final.
The Bihar-born batter also holds the record for the most sixes in a Youth ODI innings and in a U19 World Cup innings, smashing 15 maximums to surpass his own previous record of 14 against UAE U19 at ICCA Dubai in December.
Suryavanshi brought up his 150 off just 71 balls, the fastest in U19 cricket, bettering the 98 balls taken by England’s Ben Mayes against Scotland at the same venue earlier in the competition.
He stitched together a 142-run second-wicket partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre (53) and later added 89 runs with Vedant Trivedi before his dominant knock of 175 off 80 balls came to an end in the 26th over.
At the time of writing, India were comfortably placed at 275 for 3 in 29 overs, with Vihaan Malhotra (10 not out) and Vedant Trivedi (22 not out) at the crease.
Suryavanshi is currently India’s leading run-scorer in the U19 World Cup, having amassed 264 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 147.49. In January, he had captained the Indian U19 side to a commanding 3-0 away Youth ODI series win over South Africa in Benoni, leading from the front in his maiden assignment as junior national team captain.
–IANS
