Teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi broke the record for the fastest half-century in List A 50-over cricket as he took just 11 balls to reach 50 against Sri Lanka.
The 15-year-old hit five fours, five sixes and played just one dot ball for his 50, in the latest of a string of remarkable performances, and had the chance to equal the fastest-ever century too but fell six runs short.
But despite his electric opening to India’s batting he has not been given a place in the international squad for the upcoming 50-over series against England.
The squad was announced on the same day as India A sealed the tri-series win in Dambulla, and which begins on 14 July.
Sooryavanshi hit 94 off 29 balls, including 10 fours and eight sixes, before he was dismissed as India A beat Sri Lanka A by 66 runs in the final of the tri-series, posting a total of 377-9 and restricting their opponents to 311 all out.
He was named player of the match and said afterwards: “I hadn’t thought of anything. Just wanted to execute what I planned in the first ten and take it forward from there.
“No pressure. I wasn’t executing what I wanted. But after consulting with the coaches, I got it right. Learnt a lot this series.”
The youngster’s record-breaking feat saw him surpass the previous landmark set by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne, who needed 12 deliveries for a 50 in 2005.
South Africa’s AB de Villiers and West Indies’ Matthew Forde share the record of 16 balls for the quickest in international 50-over cricket.
Sooryavanshi opened the batting and immediately made a statement of intent, while he was unlucky not to notch a new fastest century too as he was ultimately caught at mid-off.
Sooryavanshi was the leading run-scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League, playing for Rajasthan Royals.
He could be set for his international debut next month, having been named in India’s T20 side against Ireland, who they face for the first of two internationals on 26 June, and England. The five-match series against England begins on 1 July.
Should he turn out he would become India’s youngest-ever Test cricket debutant, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who was 16 when he made his debut in 1989.
But despite his impressive knock against Sri Lanka he was not included in the ODI squad.
