U-19 Asia Cup: India demolish UAE by 234 runs in opener

DUBAI: India restricted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to 199/7 in their 50 overs, registering a massive 234-run victory in the opening match of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai on Friday.

Deepesh Devendran was the pick of the bowlers for India, returning figures of 2/21 from seven overs, including three maidens. However, the star of the match was 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who lit up the contest with a breathtaking 171 off just 95 deliveries, guiding India to a formidable total of 433/6.

Chasing the stiff target, the UAE struggled to build momentum. Their first wicket fell at 18, with Shalom D’Souza dismissed for 4 by Kishan Singh. The second wicket followed soon after at 23, when UAE captain Yayin Kiran Rai departed for 17, with Henil Patel taking the second wicket.

From 47/2, the UAE Under-19 suffered a dramatic collapse, slipping to 53/6 and losing control of the chase. Along with Kishan, Henil, and Deepesh, Khilan Patel also chipped in with a wicket.

For the hosts, Prithvi Madhu and Uddish Suri were the standout performers with the bat. Prithvi scored 50 off 87 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes. Suri remained unbeaten on 78 off 106 deliveries, including five fours and one six, but their efforts were not enough to trouble the Indian side.

Coming to the first innings, after being invited to bat by UAE captain Yayin Rai, India U19 suffered an early hiccup when skipper Ayush Mhatre departed for four runs in the third over. This brought Suryavanshi and Aaron George together, and what followed was an innings of outright aggression.

Suryavanshi, who has been in scintillating form, played with caution before shifting gears into destructive mode. He raced to his half-century in just 30 deliveries.

The highlight of the innings was Suryavanshi’s boundary hitting. The young batter from Bihar smashed the UAE bowlers for nine fours and 14 sixes.

This remarkable display of power-hitting saw Suryavanshi etch his name into the tournament’s record books, breaking the record for the most sixes hit by a batter in a single innings of the U19 Asia Cup, previously held by Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli (10 sixes in 2017).

His century came off in just 56 balls. Suryavanshi was relentless, going on to complete 150 runs in just 84 balls before finally being run out on 171 off 95 deliveries, with a strike rate of 180.

Suryavanshi’s 171 is now officially the second-highest score by an Indian in a Youth ODI, falling just short of Ambati Rayudu’s 177 not out against England U19 in 2002.

While Aaron George scored 69, Vihaan Malhotra (69), Vedant Trivedi (38), Abhigyan Kundu (32) and Kanishk Chouhan (28) also helped India reach 433/6, setting UAE the target of 434. (ANI)