Vaibhav Suryavanshi shines in U-19 Asia Cup clash against UAE

DUBAI: India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the ICC Academy Ground on Friday, smashing a blistering half-century off just 30 balls as India U-19 surged ahead in their tournament opener against the UAE.

The 14-year-old opener, who initially opened his innings with five straight dot balls against Ali Asghar Shums, flipped the script in dramatic fashion. A boundary off the final ball of that over uncorked the swagger, and from there Suryavanshi went into full assault mode. His knock already features five towering sixes and four crisp fours, sending the UAE bowlers into scramble mode.

Suryavanshi’s fireworks powered India to a run rate comfortably above six, even after the early blow of losing IPL talent Ayush Mhatre, the Chennai Super Kings youngster who edged Yug Sharma to Aleh Amin.

Unfazed at the other end, Aaron Varghese has played the perfect foil while Suryavanshi clattered two sixes and a four in the fourth over, followed by another boundary in the fifth, pushing India firmly into control.

Placed in Group A alongside Pakistan and Malaysia, India are off to a rollicking start in their U-19 Asia Cup campaign, thanks largely to a 14-year-old who’s batting like he owns Dubai. By the end of the 16th over, Suryavanshi had smashed 82 runs.