India’s Under-19 team opened their Asia Cup campaign with a 234-run victory over the UAE in Dubai on Friday, powered by a scintillating innings from 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi. After being sent in to bat at the ICC Academy, India posted a colossal 433 for six, their highest-ever total in U-19 ODIs.
Suryavanshi led the charge with 171 off just 95 balls, an innings studded with nine boundaries. His performance completely overshadowed the hosts, who could only manage 199 for seven in reply despite half-centuries from Prithvi Madhu and Uddish Suri.
Suryavanshi cleared the ropes 14 times, setting a new world record for the most sixes by a batter in a single Youth ODI innings, surpassing the previous mark of 12 set by Australia’s Michael Hill in 2008. During the knock, he also became the first batter in history to cross 50 career sixes in Youth ODIs.
His 171 is now the second-highest score by an Indian in U-19 ODIs, falling just short of Ambati Rayudu’s unbeaten 177 against England in 2002. He found able support from Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra, who both scored 69, with George sharing a massive 212-run partnership with the opener.
Suryavanshi’s aggression wasn’t limited to his batting. He revealed after the match that he was subject to constant sledging from UAE wicketkeeper Saleh Amin, which only fueled his focus. Addressing the on-field chatter in the post-match presentation, the 14-year-old remarked, "Me Bihar se belong karta hu. Pichle se koi kuch bhi bole, utna farak nahi padhta (I belong to Bihar. No matter what the other person is saying from behind, I really don't care)."
"The keeper was talking to me, it's their job to keep saying things, but I was focused on my own game." He noted that he took time to read the wicket initially before unleashing his shots, including reverse sweeps he had practiced specifically for the game.
The opener’s meteoric rise has translated into massive online popularity. It was revealed during the broadcast that Suryavanshi was the most-searched Indian personality on Google in 2025, surpassing Virat Kohli, and ranked sixth globally.
When asked about handling this sudden fame and hype, Suryavanshi maintained a grounded approach. "I don't pay attention to these things. I keep the focus on my game. Yes, I do hear about these developments, and it does feel nice. I look at it, feel good about it and then move forward. That's about it," he said.
With this emphatic win under their belt, the Ayush Mhatre-led Indian side has set the tone for the tournament. The middle order, featuring swift contributions from Vedant Trivedi and Abhigyan Kundu, ensured the momentum didn't drop even after the centurion's dismissal in the 33rd over.
India will now turn their attention to their next Group A fixture, a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Pakistan scheduled for Sunday, December 14.
