Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting to guide India A to a stunning 66-run win over Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final on Sunday.
The teenage sensation scored 94 runs in just 29 balls, one of the most devastating innings seen in List A cricket.
With his explosive innings, India A scored 377 runs for nine wickets and in reply restricted Sri Lanka A to 311 runs.
While fast bowler Yash Thakur returned figures of 3/45 and spinner Vipraj Nigam claimed 3/60, the contest was largely made up of Suryavanshi’s remarkable attack at the top of the order.
Sri Lanka A faced a difficult target from the start and needed both a strong start and a consistent partnership to stay in the contest. Instead, their innings faltered early, with Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando and Nuwanidu Fernando all out inside the first 10 overs and just 75 runs on the board.
The hosts attempted to rebuild through a 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Sadira Samarawickrama, who scored 52, and captain Sahan Arachige, who contributed 38 runs. Later, Wanuj Sahan scored 62 runs and shared a 77-run partnership with Vijaykant Vyaskanth (39) for the seventh wicket.
However, those efforts were never enough against a target that required sustained scoring of more than eight runs per over. Sri Lanka A eventually crossed the 300-run mark but never seriously threatened India’s total.
Earlier, Suryavanshi dominated India A’s innings.
bounced back in style after being asked to bat first in a relatively quiet tournament. The 15-year-old player from Samastipur, Bihar, entered the field with the intention of attacking and immediately put the Sri Lankan bowlers under immense pressure.
He rewrote the record books by completing his half-century in just 11 balls, surpassing the previous List A record held by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne, who took 12 balls to score his half-century in 2005.
His first 11 scoring shots produced an astonishing 50 runs. The sequence read 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6, 6 as he tore apart the bowling attack from the start.
He achieved this feat with two consecutive sixes off fast bowler Dulaj Samuditha. Suryavanshi mixed brute force with excellent timing throughout his stay.
Initially targeting the leg side against the seamers, he later extended his range to the off side after Sri Lanka A adjusted their field placements. Even well-executed deliveries disappeared into the stands as he continued his attack.
The standout features of the innings were his lofted drives over extra cover. Three effortless sixes in that area highlighted the extraordinary bat speed, balance and confidence that have established him as one of India’s most exciting young prospects.
Along with Priyansh Arya, who scored 39, Suryavanshi added 132 runs for the opening wicket and looked on course to register the fastest century in List A cricket.
The fireworks finally ended in the ninth over when spinner Sahan Arachige was caught at mid-off. Arya departed in the next over, giving Sri Lanka A a ray of hope.
After this, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 40 runs and added 63 runs for the third wicket with captain Tilak Verma. Tilak led the innings with a smashing 67 off 90 balls as the scoring rate slowed down for a while.
India A lost wickets at regular intervals in an attempt to gain momentum in the end, but late arrivals Anukul Roy, who scored 39 from 15 balls, and Vipraj Nigam, who scored 27 from 20 balls, ensured that the total went over 350.
Ultimately, however, the final belonged to Suryavanshi, whose extraordinary innings set the stage for a comprehensive win and a reminder of his immense potential.
