Vaibhav Suryavanshi: India teenager, 14, makes 175 from 80 balls in Under-19 World Cup final against England
India overpowered England in the final of the Under-19 World Cup, with 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi starring with a stunning 175 from just 80 balls.
The IPL sensation hammered 15 sixes and 15 fours at a strike-rate of 218.75 during a brutal and breathtaking knock at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe.
He scored 24 off his first 24 balls, meaning his last 151 runs came off just 56 deliveries.
Suryavanshi’s 126-minute stay at the crease was eventually ended by England seamer Manny Lumsden in the 26th over to leave India 251-3.
Lumsden took pace off the ball and Suryavanshi gloved an attempted slog sweep to England captain and wicketkeeper Thomas Rew.
A number of England’s players shook Suryavanshi’s hand as he left the field in recognition of the brilliance of his innings.
India finished on 411-9 from their 50 overs – the fifth highest total in U19 World Cup history and a record for a final, eclipsing the 253-7 made by Australia against India in the 2024 final.
England struggled to keep pace with India when their turn came to bat. Knowing they needed to maintain a run-rate of 8.24 from the outset, a second-wicket partnership between Ben Dawkins and Ben Mayes gave them hope.
Mayes (45 off 28 balls), who finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, looked in particularly good touch but he was out playing a reverse sweep and despite skipper Rew adding a punchy 31 off 18, wickets began to fall regularly.
At one stage, England lost four wickets for three runs to slide to 177-7.
Middlesex’s Caleb Falconer played a brilliant knock to give his side the smallest of hope – bringing up his century off 63 balls when he moved across his stumps and clipped the ball over the square leg fence for six.
He was running out of partners, however, and was the last wicket to fall when he was caught at backward point for 115.
India have now won the tournament a record six times, with England’s last success as this level coming in 1998.
