Teenage prodigy hot on Virat Kohli’s heels: 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi eyes milestone as India begins U19 World Cup quest | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: India’s Under-19 World Cup campaign begins in southern Africa on Thursday, with the spotlight on a 14-year-old prodigy who is already knocking on the doors of history. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the most talked about name in age-group cricket over the past year, is set to surpass Virat Kohli’s Youth ODI runs total as India open their tournament against the United States in Zimbabwe and Namibia.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!Sooryavanshi needs just six runs to surpass Kohli’s 978 runs in Under-19 ODIs, a record the former Indian captain accumulated in 25 innings. What makes the moment striking is how quickly the teenager has progressed. Sooryavanshi has accumulated 973 runs in just 18 innings at a staggering average of 54.05, already tallying three centuries and four half-centuries. Kohli, on the other hand, had an average of 46.57 with one hundred and six fifties at the same level.
The opening match is also just 27 runs away from completing 1,000 runs in Youth ODI cricket. If he achieves it, Sooryavanshi will become only the seventh Indian to reach the landmark and the third fastest, after Shubman Gill and Unmukt Chand. The figures underline a meteoric rise that has seen him become a household name thanks to his exploits not only for India Under-19 and India A, but also in the IPL, where his fearless batting has already turned heads.Most runs for India in Youth ODIs
- Vijay Zol – 1404 runs
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 1386 races- Tanmay Srivastava – 1316 runs
- Shubman Gill – 1149 runs
- Unmukt Chand – 1149 runs
- Sarfaraz Khan – 1080 runs
- Virat Kohli – 978 runs
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 973 runs
India begins U19 World Cup campaign against the United StatesFive-time tournament champions India start as heavy favorites as they aim for a record sixth title. Champions in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022, they are looking to bounce back after finishing second to Australia in the previous edition. The Under-19 World Cup has long been a launching pad for future greats, with names such as Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith all emerging from that stage.This Indian team looks formidable on paper, having won 13 of their last 16 matches, including series victories in England, Australia and South Africa. Alongside Sooryavanshi, skipper Ayush Mhatre, vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra and Asia Cup top scorer Aaron George form the batting core, while pacer Deepesh Devendran could be an X-factor with his clumsy action.Placed in Group B with New Zealand, Bangladesh and the USA, India begins against the Americans before facing Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24 in Bulawayo.
