15 sixes, 11 fours! Vaibhav Suryavanshi blasts 42-ball 144 as India A crush UAE by 148 runs in Rising Stars Asia Cup

Rising batting star Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced a stunning performance, smashing boundaries to reach the second-fastest T20 century by an Indian and lead India A to a commanding 148-run victory over UAE in the opening match of the Rising Stars Asia Cup.

The 14-year-old opener, who came into the limelight in the last IPL season, showcased his exceptional talent after India A chose to bat first. Suryavanshi scored a staggering 144 off just 42 balls, including 15 sixes and 11 fours.

Suryavanshi played aggressively right from the start and reached his fifty in just 17 balls. He continued to step up and brought up his century in a remarkable 32 balls, matching Rishabh Pant’s record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian man in 2018. The standout moment in his innings was the 30-over mark, which underlined his capacity to dismantle the bowling strategy on his own.

Suryavanshi’s relentless attack, which saw him score a strike rate of 342.85, came to an end in the 13th over, but the damage had already been done. He formed a crucial partnership with Naman Dhir (34 off 23). Skipper Jitesh Sharma then ended the innings with a strong performance, scoring an unbeaten 83 from 32 balls (including six sixes) to help India A reach an impressive total of 297/4 in 20 overs.

Facing a daunting target, UAE struggled as their chase failed to gain momentum despite Sohaib Khan’s 63 from 41 balls. India A’s bowlers exerted firm control, restricting UAE to 149/7. Left-arm spinner Gurjapneet Singh stood out among the bowlers and took 3 wickets for 18 runs in 3.3 overs, ensuring India A started their campaign with a resounding victory and a significant increase in Net Run Rate.

India A will then face Pakistan Shaheens in a crucial match on Sunday.

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