NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 13-year-old prodigy, continued his remarkable form in the U-19 Asia Cup ODI tournament, leading India to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the semi-final.
His blistering knock of 67 runs off just 36 balls, laced with five sixes and six fours, propelled India’s chase of 174 with a staggering 170 balls to spare.
India’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Chetan Sharma (3/34), Kiran Chormale (2/32), and Ayush Mhatre (2/37), restricted Sri Lanka to a modest total of 173/9 in 46.2 overs.
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Despite a valiant effort from Lakvin Abeysinghe (69 off 110) and Sharujan Shanmuganathan (42 off 78), the Sri Lankan innings struggled to gain momentum against the disciplined Indian bowling.
India’s chase was built on a solid foundation laid by Ayush Mhatre (34 off 28) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who shared an opening partnership of 91 runs.
Suryavanshi’s aggressive intent was evident from the outset, as he started with consecutive sixes and a boundary off Sigera, who conceded 31 runs in his opening over.
Despite losing his opening partner, Suryavanshi showcased remarkable maturity, forging another crucial partnership with C Andre Siddharth (22). He continued to take the attack to the bowlers with his aggressive strokes, including scoring two sixes off Aayan Khan.
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Skipper Mohamed Amaan (25 not out) and KP Karthikeya (11 not out) then completed the chase in style, guiding India to the final, where they will face Bangladesh on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the other semi-final, chasing down a modest target of 117 in 22.1 overs.
