Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scripts history, smashes fifty in just 11 balls

Fifteen-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi etched his name into the history books on Sunday by smashing the fastest half-century in the history of List A cricket. Representing India A against Sri Lanka A in the high-stakes Tri-Series final at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, the teenage sensation took just 11 balls to reach his fifty. This explosive performance broke the previous 21-year-old world record held by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne, who had registered a 12-ball fifty back in 2005.

Opening the batting for India A, the dynamic left-hander put on a masterclass of clean hitting, hammering five boundaries and five towering sixes to reach his historic milestone. Sooryavanshi did not slow down after his fifty and continued to dismantle the Sri Lankan bowling attack. He unfortunately missed out on a well-deserved century when Sri Lanka A skipper Sahan Arachchige dismissed him in the ninth over, but not before he had accumulated a breathtaking 94 runs off just 29 deliveries, a knock laced with ten fours and eight sixes.

This record-breaking feat comes right on the heels of another massive milestone for the young cricketer. Earlier this month, Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise culminated in his maiden call-up to the senior India T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games 2026. At just 15 years and 71 days old, the prodigy has become the youngest player ever to be selected for the Indian men's national cricket team.

By earning his national call-up at this tender age, Sooryavanshi has broken legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record. Tendulkar had famously made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days. If Sooryavanshi takes the field during the upcoming overseas tours, he will comfortably eclipse Tendulkar to become the youngest debutant in the history of men's international cricket for India.