Vaibhav Suryavanshi cracks 31-ball 86 against England U19, narrowly misses Pant's record

Northampton [UK], July 3 (ANI): The 14-year-old Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell just short of Rishabh Pant's record as he cracked a 20-ball half-century in the third ODI between India U19 side and England U19 at Northampton on Wednesday.
During the match, Suryavanshi scored 86 in just 31 balls, with six fours and nine sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 277. He also broke the record for most sixes by an Indian U19 batter in an innings.
The fastest half-century for India in U19 ODI cricket belongs to Pant, who smashed it in just 18 balls against Nepal back in 2016. Suryavanshi has the second-fastest U19 ODI fifty for India.
South African Steve Stolk owns the record for fastest U19 fifty, scoring it in 13 balls against Scotland last January.
Coming to the match, India U19 opted to field first. England U19 posted 268/6 in 40 overs, powered by fifties from Thomas Rew (76* in 44 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) and BJ Dawkins (62 in 61 balls, with eight fours and a six). Kanishk Chouhan (3/30) was the top bowler for India.
During the chase, Suryavanshi and Vihaan Malhotra (46 in 34 balls, with seven fours and a six) put on 73 runs for the second wicket and a lower-order cameo from Kanishk (43* in 42 balls, with six fours and a six) took India to win with four wickets and 33 balls left.
India leads the five-match series 2-1. Suryavanshi is India's top run-getter and overall second with 179 runs in three matches at an average of 59.66, with a strike rate of over 213.
Suryavanshi, who turned out for the RR in the 2025 season, was one of the breakthrough stars of the tournament. In just seven matches, the teenager accumulated 252 runs in seven matches with a century and fifty, but it was his explosive century against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur that truly sent shockwaves through the cricketing world.
Batting with a maturity well beyond his years, Suryavanshi hammered 101 off just 38 deliveries, becoming the youngest ever centurion in men's T20 cricket. His hundred, which came off just 35 balls, now stands as the second-fastest century in IPL history, a staggering feat for a player just 14 years old. (ANI)