NEW DELHI: India’s 14-year-old rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi is quickly becoming the talk of the town and a fan favourite. After his standout performance in India’s Under-19 ODI series win over England, the youngster from Samastipur, Bihar is now gearing up for the Youth Test series, which begins on July 12 at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham.But even before the red-ball series gets underway, Vaibhav has already made headlines—thanks to a heartwarming fan moment. Two young fans, Aanya and Rivaa, both around the same age as Vaibhav, made a special six-hour road trip to Worcester just to meet him. What made the meeting even more special was that both girls wore Rajasthan Royals’ pink jerseys—Vaibhav’s IPL team.The two girls got to meet their idol, took pictures with him, and cheered passionately for both him and the Indian team.Meanwhile, India’s Under-19 team ended their one-day campaign in England on a disappointing note, suffering a seven-wicket defeat in the fifth and final Youth ODI on Monday.
Despite the loss, Vaibhav remained in the spotlight. He scored a gritty 33, keeping fans engaged after his earlier record-breaking century in the series.With the series already sealed 3-1 after a dominant 55-run win in the fourth ODI, India opted to rest some key players and shuffle the lineup. However, their decision to bat first in Worcester didn’t pay off.Captain Ayush Mhatre (1) and Vihaan Malhotra (1) were dismissed cheaply, leaving India reeling at 9 for 2 in the opening overs.Vaibhav then stepped up with a composed 33 off 42 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. He put together a crucial 51-run partnership with Rahul Kumar (21) to steady the innings. But his dismissal—caught by Alex Green off Sebastian Morgan while trying to accelerate—triggered a collapse.
The middle order failed to capitalise. Harvnash Pangalia (24), Kanishk Chauhan (24), and Deepesh Devendran (0) couldn’t convert their starts.RS Ambrish was the lone standout in the latter half of the innings, scoring a defiant 66 off 81 balls with six boundaries to help India reach a modest 210/9 in their 50 overs.England made the chase look easy. Ben Mayes led from the front with an unbeaten 82, while BJ Dawkins smashed 66 and captain Thomas Rew chipped in with a quick 49 not out off just 37 balls.The hosts chased down the target in just 31.1 overs, winning with 113 balls to spare. Naman Pushpak was the only Indian bowler to strike twice, but England’s dominance ensured they ended the series on a high.
