Kamal Ghorui
Teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a knock for the ages, playing arguably the most breathtaking innings in U-19 World Cup history to guide India to a record-extending sixth title with a commanding 100-run victory over England in the final here on Friday.On the biggest stage of the tournament, the 14-year-old lit up the contest with a jaw-dropping 80-ball 175, an innings that will be remembered as one of the finest ever in age-group cricket. His knock, studded with a record 15 sixes and an equal number of fours, propelled India to a daunting 411 for 9 after England opted to bowl first. The onslaught left the English attack bruised and battered, with Sooryavanshi dismantling both pace and spin with remarkable ease and maturity beyond his years.
Sooryavanshi’s innings also saw him rewrite the record books. He became the fastest player to score 150 in Under-19 cricket, reaching the milestone in just 71 deliveries, and registered the highest individual score by any batter in an ICC tournament final. Having burst into the limelight during last year’s Indian Premier League, the prodigy showcased why he is already being talked about as a generational talent.England, set an improbable target of 412, showed brief resistance in the chase. They kept the required run rate within touching distance for large parts of the innings but lost wickets at regular intervals against India’s well-rounded bowling attack. Caleb Falconer fought a lone battle with a fluent 67-ball 115, but the task proved too steep. England were eventually bowled out for 311 in 40.2 overs, sealing a comprehensive win for India.After the triumph, Rajasthan Royals’ social media handle shared a touching moment, posting a photo of Sooryavanshi holding the trophy while making a video call and saying, ‘Papa, pranaam’. Fittingly, the young star remained grounded despite the historic achievement.Sooryavanshi dedicated his Player of the Final award to the Indian team’s support staff, saying, “I can’t express what I am feeling but the way we have all been working hard for the last 7-8 months and our support staff who have been with us for a long time and always made sure we are alright, I would like to dedicate the award to them.” He added, “For the last eight to nine months, the support staff and the team have been working together. That preparation has played a huge role in getting us to where we are today.”Capping off a dream tournament, Sooryavanshi also became the first player to win both the Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament awards in U-19 World Cup history, underlining his extraordinary impact on India’s title-winning campaign.
