Dubai: India recorded the highest-ever score in Men’s U19 Asia Cup history, posting 433/6 in its tournament opener against UAE here at ICC Academy Ground on Friday.
Teenage star Vaibhav Suryavanshi made a spectacular 171, while Aaron George (69) and Vihaan Malhotra (69) contributed with crucial half-centuries. Vedant Trivedi (38), Abhigyan Kundu (32) and Kanishk Chouhan (28) provided the finishing touch to the record total.
India moved past its own highest total in U19 ODIs – 425/3 scored against Scotland in 2004. Overall, India’s total of 433 is the third-highest score ever by a team in a men’s U19 one-day game.
Moreover, 14-year-old Suryavanshi scored a record-breaking 171 off just 95 balls, shattering the mark for the highest score by an Indian in the U19 Asia Cup.
The previous best was Himanshu Rana’s 130 against Afghanistan in Colombo in 2016. Soumya Sarkar of Bangladesh holds the record for most runs in an innings in U19 Asia Cup. He smashed 209 against Qatar in 2012.
Suryavanshi’s innings, decorated with nine fours, came at a strike rate of 180. He brought up his half-century in 30 balls, his century in just 56 and 150 in 84 balls. He also launched 14 sixes – the most by any batter in the tournament’s history, going past Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli who struck 10 against UAE in 2017.
Suryavanshi was dismissed in the 33rd over with the score on 265/3, giving India a launchpad to score more than 400.
Earlier this month, the teenager hit an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls for Bihar against Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Kolkata, becoming the youngest player to score a century in the tournament’s history.
At the Rising Stars Asia Cup earlier this year, Suryavanshi scored 144 off 42 balls for India A against UAE, smashing 11 fours and 15 sixes.
(IANS)
