All eyes are on Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the India U19 team seeks to finish their ODI series against England U19 with a dominant performance. The fifth and final Youth ODI between England U-19 and India U-19 will be held on July 7 at New Road, Worcester. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM IST. India has already clinched the series, holding an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been a standout performer throughout the series. In the fourth ODI, he broke the record for the fastest century in Men's Youth ODIs, reaching the milestone in just 52 balls. He surpassed the previous record of 53 balls, held by Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam. Suryavanshi's innings included 10 sixes and 13 fours, ultimately scoring 143 runs off 78 balls. His explosive batting and aggressive style have garnered praise, with some suggesting he could be fast-tracked into the national team.
The 14-year-old Suryavanshi has already made a name for himself in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He became the youngest player to receive an IPL contract when he was signed by Rajasthan Royals. He also made headlines by becoming the youngest player to score a century in the IPL, achieving the feat in just 35 balls.
In addition to his record-breaking century, Suryavanshi has consistently provided explosive starts for the India U19 team throughout the series. His scores of 48 and 45 in the first two matches were crucial, and he followed it up with a rapid 86 off 31 balls in the third ODI.
Suryavanshi's success has been attributed to his hard work and inspiration from senior players. He mentioned that watching Shubman Gill score a double century inspired him to prolong his innings even after reaching his century. Suryavanshi has expressed his desire to score an unprecedented double century in the final ODI game.
While there will be no live telecast of the fifth Youth ODI in India, fans can watch the live stream on the Worcestershire County Cricket Club YouTube channel.
In the previous match, India U19 posted a total of 363-9, with significant contributions from Vaibhav Suryavanshi (143) and Vihaan Malhotra (129). In response, England U19 were bowled out for 308, despite a century from Rocky Flintoff, son of former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. Naman Pushpak was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets.
As India U19 aims to stamp their authority in the final ODI, the spotlight will undoubtedly be on Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again, as he looks to continue his impressive form and potentially achieve his goal of scoring a double century.