NEW DELHI: Batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced what was arguably the most dominant knock in U19 World Cup history, smashing an 80-ball 175 studded with a staggering 15 sixes to power India to a record 411/9 against England in the final on Friday.

The 14-year-old delivered an innings for the ages, racing to his century in just 55 balls to become the second-fastest centurion in the tournament’s history.

GREATEST INNINGS EVER? 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes 175 in World Cup Final, Breaks 7 World Records!

It was the highest individual score in a U19 World Cup final and also the biggest team total ever recorded in the tournament’s title clash.

Records tumble as England bowlers suffer

The opener rose to the occasion when it mattered most, bringing up his fifty in just 32 balls and continuing the assault with a breathtaking range of strokes. His second fifty came off only 23 deliveries.

A massive 150 of his 175 runs came in boundaries, courtesy of 15 sixes and an equal number of fours, as he toyed with the English attack and turned the Harare Sports Club into his personal stage.

He now owns the record for the most sixes in a Youth ODI innings, surpassing his own mark of 14 maximums against UAE at ICCA Dubai in December.

Sooryavanshi also registered the fastest 150 in U19 cricket, reaching the milestone in just 71 balls, bettering the previous record of 98 balls held by England’s Ben Mayes at the same venue earlier in the competition.

To put the dominance into perspective, partner Vedant Trivedi faced just four balls between Sooryavanshi’s celebrations of his 100 and 150.

India pile on runs after Sooryavanshi show

Such was the ferocity of the onslaught that India were scoring at close to 10 runs per over at the halfway stage, with projections touching 500 at one point.

The teenager from Samastipur in Bihar finally departed in the 26th over after nearly two hours of mayhem, gloving a scoop attempt off Manny Lumsden to wicketkeeper Thomas Rew down the leg side.

Relieved England players immediately surrounded Sooryavanshi to congratulate him on an innings rarely witnessed in a World Cup final.

Earlier, Sooryavanshi had added 142 runs in just 19 overs with skipper Ayush Mhatre, who fell soon after reaching his half-century, scoring 53 off 51 balls.

By repeatedly clearing the ropes, Sooryavanshi finished the tournament with an astonishing 22 sixes, eclipsing South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, whose record of 18 had stood since 2022.

He also became the youngest centurion in the history of the U19 World Cup. While he punished every English bowler, left-arm spinner Ralphie Albert and off-spinner Farhad Ahmed bore the brunt, conceding 27 and 22 runs respectively.

After his dismissal, Abhigyan Kundu (40 off 31 balls), Vedant Trivedi (32 off 36), Vihaan Malhotra (30 off 36) and Kanishk Chouhan (37 off 20) made valuable contributions. England did manage to claw back some control, but the momentum firmly remained with India.

(With PTI Inputs)