Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes 171 off 95 balls in U-19 Asia Cup, falls just short of Rayudu’s record

Highlights:

India’s rising teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced another breathtaking performance on Friday, smashing a blistering 95-ball 171 in the Under-19 Asia Cup opener against UAE Under-19s. His innings, packed with power and precision, fell just short of Ambati Rayudu's long-standing India youth one-day record of 177, set against England in Taunton back in 2002.

Suryavanshi, who has not yet turned 15, lit up the innings with nine fours and 14 sixes, dominating the bowlers from the start. His explosive knock ended in the 33rd over when he was bowled attempting a paddle. India Under-19s rode on his heroics to pile up a colossal 433 for 6 after being sent in to bat. UAE could only manage 199 for 7, handing India a massive 234-run victory and securing Suryavanshi the Player of the Match award.

This extraordinary performance follows a string of remarkable innings from the young star. Just last month, he hammered a stunning 42-ball 144 at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha, reaching his century in only 32 balls, making it the joint-sixth-fastest in all men’s T20s and the joint-third-fastest by an Indian.

Suryavanshi is a near-certain selection for next month’s Under-19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe. He recently struck an unbeaten 61-ball 108 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, becoming the youngest century-maker in the tournament’s history.

His breakout year came in 2025, when he became the youngest IPL centurion, smashing 101 off 38 balls for the Rajasthan Royals against the Gujarat Titans. Remarkably, he had entered the tournament just months after becoming the youngest player ever picked in an IPL auction at age 13. Playing seven matches as an opener, he accumulated 252 runs at a blistering strike rate of 206.55.

After the IPL, he toured England and Australia with the India Under-19 squads, scoring a 78-ball century in Brisbane and finishing as the second-highest run-getter in the multi-day series against Australia Under-19s, with 133 runs in three innings. Earlier, he had amassed 355 runs at a strike rate of 174.01 in the one-dayers against England Under-19s.

Suryavanshi’s rapid rise through the ranks and his unmatched consistency at such a young age have already placed him among India’s most exciting future stars.