32-ball Ton, 297 On Board: Suryavanshi Stars As India A Dominate UAE In Asia Cup Rising Stars

32-ball ton, 297 on board: Suryavanshi stars as India A dominate UAE in Asia Cup Rising Stars (Image Source: IANS)

Asia Cup Rising Stars: Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi rewrote record books yet again, hammering a breathtaking 144 off just 42 deliveries to set up India A’s thumping 148-run win over UAE in their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 opener in Doha on Friday.

His extraordinary effort powered India 'A' to 297 for 4, the joint fifth-highest total in men’s T20 cricket, before the bowlers sealed a commanding victory.

Suryavanshi’s knock was an exhibition of clean, fearless hitting. The 14-year-old left-hander smashed 11 fours and 15 sixes, finishing with a strike rate of 342.85, the fourth-highest ever for a T20 score of 100 or more.

His century, reached in 32 balls, is now the joint-second fastest by an Indian in men’s T20s, alongside Rishabh Pant’s 2018 effort, and behind only the 28-ball tons by Urvil Patel and Abhishek Sharma in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Overall, it stands as the joint-fifth fastest century in T20 cricket history.

At 14 years and 232 days, Suryavanshi also became the youngest man to score a century for a national representative side at senior level, surpassing Mushfiqur Rahim’s previous mark set in 2005, when the Bangladesh wicketkeeper was 16 years and 171 days.

This was Suryavanshi’s second T20 century, following his 35-ball ton for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 — a knock that made him the youngest man to score a T20 hundred and the second-fastest centurion in IPL history, behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball blitz in 2011.

What made Suryavanshi’s innings even more remarkable was the context. He was dropped off the very first ball he faced, but the reprieve only ignited his assault. He surged to a 17-ball fifty and never looked back, dismantling UAE’s bowling attack with an astonishing mix of power and precision. His dominance was the backbone of a 163-run second-wicket stand off 57 balls with Naman Dhir (34), a partnership that shifted India A from a steady start to a position of total control.

After Suryavanshi’s dismissal in the 13th over, captain Jitesh Sharma kept the momentum going, smashing 83 not out off 32 balls, ensuring India A stayed on course for a towering total. At one point, they appeared poised to become just the fifth team in men’s T20s to breach the 300-run mark.

However, a modest final over left them tied with India’s 2024 total of 297 against Bangladesh, still one of the highest ever recorded. Only Baroda’s 349 in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has bettered it in Indian cricket.

Chasing a monumental 298, the UAE were never in the contest. Their innings lacked momentum, with only Sohaib Khan offering resistance through a gritty 63 off 41 balls. India A maintained control throughout, with Gurjapneet Singh leading the attack with figures of 3 for 18. UAE eventually reached 149 for 7, well short of threatening India A’s mammoth total.

However, a modest final over left them tied with India’s 2024 total of 297 against Bangladesh, still one of the highest ever recorded. Only Baroda’s 349 in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has bettered it in Indian cricket.

India A 297/4 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 144, Jitesh Sharma 83; Aayan Afzal Khan 1-42, Muhammad Arfan 1-57) beat UAE A 149/7 in 20 overs (Shoaib Khan 63, Muhammad Arfan 26; Gurpanjeet Singh 2-18, Harsh Dubey 2/-2) by 148 runs

Article Source: IANS