In a stunning display of aggressive batting, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi etched his name in cricketing history by smashing the fastest century in Youth ODIs. The record-breaking feat occurred during the fourth match of the five-match series between India U-19 and England U-19 in Worcester on Saturday. Suryavanshi reached the three-figure mark in a mere 52 balls, eclipsing the previous record held by Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam, who had scored a century in 53 balls in 2013.
Suryavanshi's innings was a masterclass in power-hitting and fearless strokeplay. The left-hander struck 10 fours and seven sixes during his explosive knock, leaving the English bowlers shell-shocked. He was eventually dismissed for a scintillating 143 off 78 balls, an innings studded with 13 fours and 10 sixes.
The young Indian opener had been in impressive form leading up to this record-breaking innings, scoring 48, 45, and 86 in his previous three outings in the series. In the third Youth ODI, Suryavanshi's 86 off 31 balls, which included nine sixes, propelled India U-19 to a four-wicket victory over England U-19. His 20-ball fifty in that innings was the second-fastest by an Indian in this format, only behind Rishabh Pant's 18-ball fifty against Nepal U19 in 2016.
Suryavanshi's record-breaking century is not the only record he broke during the match. He also became the youngest Indian to score a Youth ODI century, surpassing Sarfaraz Khan's decade-old record. Sarfaraz had scored a ton at 15 years and 338 days against South Africa U-19 in 2013. Vaibhav's achievement also makes him the youngest centurion in Youth ODIs globally, surpassing Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made a century at 14 years and 241 days in 2013.
Before his exploits in the U-19 series, Suryavanshi had already made headlines with his performances in the IPL and domestic cricket. He was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.10 crore. Prior to that, he had smashed a 58-ball century in a four-day game against Australia Under-19. He was also part of the team that reached the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup in 2024, where he scored 176 runs at an average of 44.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi's record-breaking innings has been widely praised, with many comparing his aggressive batting style to that of Yuvraj Singh. His fearless approach and ability to clear the boundary with ease have made him one of the most exciting young talents to watch out for in Indian cricket. With this performance, Suryavanshi has sent a clear message that the future of Indian cricket is in good hands.
