India’s young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi delivered a blistering performance in the first youth ODI against England U19 at Hove. Chasing a modest target of 175, Suryavanshi smashed 48 runs from just 19 balls, lighting up the innings with five towering sixes and three boundaries.
Opening the innings alongside Ayush Mhatre, the 14-year-old right-hander wasted no time in taking on the England bowlers. He struck a boundary off the second delivery he faced and maintained a high scoring rate throughout his stay. Suryavanshi hit two back-to-back sixes off Jack Home, putting the English attack on the back foot early in the innings.
He wore the jersey number 18, a number made iconic in Indian cricket by Virat Kohli. While comparisons may be premature, his confident strokeplay and fearless intent reminded many fans of a young Kohli. His aggressive knock came to an end in the 8th over, when he was dismissed by Ralphie Albert. Despite his short stay, Suryavanshi’s innings set the tone for India’s chase.
Earlier, the Indian U19 bowling unit put up an excellent performance to dismiss England for 174 in 42.2 overs. Kanishk Chouhan led the bowling attack with figures of 3 for 20 in 10 overs. Henil Patel, RS Ambrish, and Mohamed Enaan chipped in with two wickets each.
Captain Ayush Mhatre, who has also played in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, anchored the chase after Suryavanshi’s explosive start. India were comfortably placed at 142/4 in 20.4 overs, needing just 33 more runs to win at the time of the latest update.
Suryavanshi had earlier come into the spotlight after scoring a century in a youth Test against Australia and later impressed in the IPL with a 38-ball 101 for Rajasthan Royals. His performance in the youth ODI once again showcased his potential to be India’s next big batting talent.
The Indian U19 team now holds the upper hand in the three-match ODI series, with the next game set to take place in a few days. All eyes will be on Suryavanshi to see if he can repeat his fireworks.
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