Vaibhav Sooryavanshi narrowly missed the chance to enter an elite list of Indian cricket’s youngest First-Class centurions after being dismissed for 92 during the Duleep Trophy semifinal between East Zone and Central Zone on Monday.
The 15-year-old produced an impressive knock of 92 from 81 deliveries but fell just eight runs short of what would have been a landmark hundred.
At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi had the opportunity to become the second-youngest Indian cricketer to score a First-Class century. The achievement would have seen him surpass Sachin Tendulkar on the age list.
Tendulkar was 15 years and 230 days old when he registered his maiden First-Class century in 1988 during a Ranji Trophy match. The legendary batter currently remains the second-youngest Indian to reach the milestone.
The overall Indian record belongs to Dhruv Pandove, who was only 14 years and 293 days old when he struck a century in 1988.
While Sooryavanshi could not complete the hundred, his innings still earned him a place in the Duleep Trophy record books. He became the youngest player to score a half-century in the competition, adding another notable achievement to his young career.
Having moved into the 90s, Sooryavanshi attempted to accelerate towards three figures. Facing Harsh Dubey, the left-hander looked to clear the deep midwicket boundary but failed to get enough distance on the shot. The ball went to the fielder stationed near the fence, bringing his innings to an end on 92.
The dismissal denied Sooryavanshi the opportunity to move ahead of Tendulkar in the list of India’s youngest First-Class centurions, but his 81-ball innings ensured he did not leave the semifinal without creating a record.
His Duleep Trophy half-century record is particularly significant given his age. At just 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi showed his ability to make an impact in First-Class cricket while playing in a high-profile semifinal.
Although the century remained out of reach on this occasion, Sooryavanshi’s 92 ensured that his innings would still be remembered for a historic age record in the Duleep Trophy.
