While most teenagers his age are still finding their feet, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already making history on the world stage. The 14 years old left-handed batter from Samastipur in Bihar delivered a remarkable performance on Wednesday, February 4, during India’s ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026 semifinal against Afghanistan in Harare.
Opening the innings in a high-pressure knockout game, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showed maturity far beyond his age. He smashed 68 runs off just 33 balls, clearing the boundary four times with ease. Those four sixes were not just crowd-pleasers but also record-breakers. With them, Vaibhav took his total tally of maximums in the tournament to 15, the highest ever by an Indian in the U19 World Cup history.
In doing so, he went past the long-standing record of Sanju Samson and Gaurav Dhiman, who had both hit 12 sixes each in their respective U19 World Cup careers. Sanju Samson achieved his tally in six matches during the 2014 tournament, while Gaurav Dhiman reached the same number across 13 matches spread over the 2004 and 2006 editions. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also surpassed Sanju Samson’s record for the most sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the U19 World Cup.
On the global stage, the record for most sixes in the U19 World Cup history is still held jointly by New Zealand’s Finn Allen and South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, both with 18 sixes. Finn Allen reached his mark across 12 matches in the 2016 and 2018 editions, while Dewald Brevis achieved the feat in the 2022 tournament. Dewald Brevis also holds the record for the most sixes in a single edition, smashing all 18 in just six matches.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi now stands just four sixes away from matching that overall record and could go past as India has made it to the final. His intent was clear from the start as he raced to a half-century in just 24 balls. Alongside Aaron George, he added a rapid 90 runs in 9.3 overs for the first wicket, giving India a strong platform in their 311-run chase and underlining his growing reputation as one of India’s brightest young talents.
As far as the match is concerned, India U-19 won the game by 7 wickets as they chased the target with 53 balls remaining.
Well played, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi!
