Six-star India: U-19 men rule again

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi explodes with 175 off 80 balls: 15 fours, 15 sixes

- S KANNAN

Salute the rising Indian teenagers. On Friday, riding on the effulgence of 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 175 runs, studded with 15 fours and 15 sixes, India thrashed England by 100 runs to lift the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in Harare.

It would be no exaggeration to state that this triumph, on the eve of India’s campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup, has made the world sit up and take notice. Watching Vaibhav execute shots that were classy and pierced the field, it became clear that this boy is a big-match player. A World Cup final is the biggest stage it can get for a teenager who is yet to grow facial hair.

The way he built his knock in the company of skipper Ayush Mhatre was defining in many ways. Indeed, the 142-run stand for the second wicket between these two lit up the proceedings in Harare. To say that the English bowlers were made to look “club class” would not be an exaggeration.