Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a blistering 48 off just 19 balls to power India to a six-wicket win over hosts England in the first game of the five-match IND U19 vs ENG U19 Youth ODI series played in Hove on Friday.
With the Indian Under-19 cricket team chasing 175 to win, the 14-year-old Vaibhav, who represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, opened the batting with captain Ayush Mhatre. The southpaw made a watchful start, scoring 11 off the first eight deliveries he faced, before putting his foot down on the gas.
Vaibhav, who was dismissed for 17 in the warm-up game against the Young Lions Invitational XI a couple of days earlier, exploded in the sixth over as he hit Jack Home for three sixes.
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The teenager followed up with a four and a six off James Minto in the next.
Looking well set for a fifty, Sooryavanshi fell trying to go big again, caught by Tazeem Chaudry Ali off Ralphie Albert just two runs short of a half-century.
His knock included five sixes and three fours at a strike rate of 252.63. India were 71/1 when he walked back.
Despite losing some quick wickets in the middle overs, the early platform set by Vaibhav, coupled with a matured unbeaten 45 by Abhigyan Kundu, saw India cross the finish line in just 24 overs.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers had bundled out England U19 for 174 after being asked to field first. Kanishk Chouhan was the standout with the leather, returning with figures of 3/20 in 10 overs.
The win hands India a 1-0 lead in the five-match Youth ODI series. The next game is in Northampton on Monday.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi comes into the England tour on the back of a record-breaking IPL 2025 season with the Rajasthan Royals.
At just 14 years and 23 days old, Sooryavanshi made history as the youngest-ever player in the Indian Premier League, debuting against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Just nine days later, he delivered one of the most talked-about innings of the tournament - a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
The knock made him the youngest centurion in IPL history and broke Yusuf Pathan’s long-standing record for the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finished the 2025 IPL season with 252 runs from seven matches, striking at 206.56 with an average of 36.00 and won the Super Striker of the Season award.
His performances fast-tracked him into the India U19 setup for the tour of England. He also made a 190 off 90 balls in one of the practice matches in Bengaluru in the lead up to the tour.
