U19 World Cup: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scripts history, becomes youngest ever to…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi steadied the innings with calm assurance. He began to open up during the eighth over, smashing 15 runs off Iqbal Hossain Emon to push India to 42 for 2. The innings hit another speed bump when Vihaan Malhotra was dismissed for 7 in the 10th over by Md Azizul Hakim Tamim, leaving India 53 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.Sooryavanshi, however, continued to shine. In the 13th over, the 14-year-old brought up a stunning half-century off just 30 balls. At 14 years and 296 days, he became the youngest player in history to score a fifty at a Men’s U19 World Cup. India moved to 94 for 3 after 20 overs, with Sooryavanshi and Abhigyan Kundu building a vital partnership.

The stand was broken in the 27th over when Iqbal Hossain Emon dismissed Suryavanshi for 72 off 67 balls, an innings laced with six fours and three sixes.

The knock also saw him cross 1,000 runs in Youth ODIs, making him the seventh Indian to achieve the milestone.India’s middle order struggled for momentum after that. Harvansh Pangalia managed just 2 as the score slipped to 123 for 5. Kundu then took charge alongside Kanishk Chouhan, guiding India to 152 for 5 by the 33rd over. Chouhan’s fluent 28 ended in the 36th over, breaking a 54-run stand.Kundu reached his fifty off 82 balls as India crossed 180, but rain soon interrupted play, reducing the match to 49 overs per side.

After the restart, wickets continued to fall. RS Ambrish was removed for 5 by Sheikh Paevez Jibon, before Al Fahad brought an end to Kundu’s resolute innings. Kundu scored a fighting 80 from 112 deliveries, with four fours and three sixes.India were eventually bowled out for 238 in 48.4 overs. Al Fahad was the standout for Bangladesh, finishing with an impressive five-wicket haul of 5 for 38 in 9.2 overs. Despite the collapse late on, the day belonged to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose record-breaking fifty marked a historic moment in U19 World Cup history.