Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s incredible run-scoring form shows no signs of slowing down as he prepares to lead India’s charge at this month’s U19 Men’s World Cup. On a warm-up match against Scotland in the build-up to the tournament in Bulawayo, Suryavanshi fell narrowly short of a century as he scored 96 runs off just 50 balls. One of those innings he is beginning to find ridiculously easy at the U-19 level.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 96(50) against Scotland in an U19 World Cup warm-up. (BCCI)
Coming off scoring a rapid but relatively measured 127 in the third Youth ODI against South Africa earlier this week, Suryavanshi plundered nine fours and seven sixes against Scotland to show that he remains in stellar touch.
Suryavanshi fell on 96 caught behind, but once again provided the early impetus that has made India’s team a candidate to cross the 350 range in most of the ODIs where they bat first. India will know their superpower is Suryavanshi’s power at the top, which is elite not just at the youth level, but even amongst senior players.
Going back one month, this was Suryavanshi’s fourth century across fifty-over games. Three of those have come in U-19 colours for India, while the last came in the Vijay Hazare Trophy while representing Bihar. All in all, he is in a tremendous vein of form, and by far the most dangerous player in the tournament. Every team will be preparing themselves on how to bowl to him and dismiss him before he can get going.
Ayush Mhatre falls cheaply again
India’s concern heading into the World Cup will be the form of Ayush Mhatre, who is captaining the side. While Mhatre has made a foothold at the senior level and is the regular opening batter for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL and Mumbai in the domestic circuit, he has strangely never been able to crack the Youth ODI format. Mhatre struggled throughout the Asia Cup in December, and hasn’t had the fluency of runs of others in the squad. Mhatre was dismissed on 22 against Scotland.
India will begin their U-19 World Cup campaign against the United States of America team; in a manageable group, they will expect to qualify, with the stiffest competition set to emerge from New Zealand and Bangladesh.
Suryavanshi and Mhatre will rely on players such as Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra to back them up in the middle order, while Abhigyan Kundu and Kanishk Chouhan provide late firepower that many teams at the U-19 level have found tough to match.